Introduction
My name is Natalie Molnar. I received my Masters degree from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I aim to work as a youth services librarian in a public library setting.
One of the most powerful aspects of children’s librarianship for me is the way that it is often among the first to adopt alternative forms of media, including manga, graphic novels, and video games. My personal love affair with librarianship began when, almost two decades ago, the librarians and paraprofessionals at my elementary school convinced me--then a reluctant reader at best--to take an old paperback home one day. I found myself back a few days later for the next one, and the next one, and whatever the librarians recommended as similar to that author, and eventually the majority of the small media center. I split my lunches in fourth grade between those library trips and sinking six inches into the cushion of the squashy cream couch in my classroom from the previous year to host storytime. Humans of all ages live and breathe stories; whether we realize it or not they're in our lessons, our entertainment, our daily conversations and even our twitter feeds. More so than even reading for myself, the greatest feeling in the world for me is sharing a story--regardless of the format--and helping someone to realize that they’re like me: they can’t help but want more.
One of the most powerful aspects of children’s librarianship for me is the way that it is often among the first to adopt alternative forms of media, including manga, graphic novels, and video games. My personal love affair with librarianship began when, almost two decades ago, the librarians and paraprofessionals at my elementary school convinced me--then a reluctant reader at best--to take an old paperback home one day. I found myself back a few days later for the next one, and the next one, and whatever the librarians recommended as similar to that author, and eventually the majority of the small media center. I split my lunches in fourth grade between those library trips and sinking six inches into the cushion of the squashy cream couch in my classroom from the previous year to host storytime. Humans of all ages live and breathe stories; whether we realize it or not they're in our lessons, our entertainment, our daily conversations and even our twitter feeds. More so than even reading for myself, the greatest feeling in the world for me is sharing a story--regardless of the format--and helping someone to realize that they’re like me: they can’t help but want more.