Emily Gideon, San Marco Branch's Children's Library Associate, coordinated the Teens Make a Difference grant program and the
Prime Time Story Time grant program for three years before going full time with JPL. Both programs had ties with a number
of libraries: CW, MH , KR, AR, UPK, Main, AYL, GB and DU. On a whim to test herself, Emily took the Library Associate exam. (She had planned to homeschool her daughter
for one more year and wait to take a job.) She passed the test and JPL offered her a job at SS and SS is in her neighborhood, next
to the school her son attended, and the one her daughter would attend the next year. Emily had a perfect match and has been at SS a year and a
half. (Cherry on her whipped cream is she goes home for lunch and is able to take her daughter to/from school twice a week.)
Q: You helped
increase circulation recently at SS, as attested to by your
Branch Manager Lilia Simonton. That is
no small accomplishment. How did that
happen?
I started with one story time
and now have three. With these story times I
display books that relate to the theme. Increasing programming has helped with
the circulation. Jill Haile does a
fantastic job ordering books and so I feature the new books on displays. I also put seasonal books on display and make
sure those displays are never empty.
Q. Specifically, what did you do in these individual projects that effected such positive results?
I have been enthusiastic about welcoming families into the San Marco children’s department. I love children’s books and I love sharing those books with the kids and I don’t mind laughing at myself. My story times are not perfect and more than once a parent or caregiver has had to help me out with a rhyme but we always have a good time.
Part of creating community has been attending School Advisory Council (SAC) meetings at Spring Park Elementary. Through that partnership, Mrs. Picray, the media specialist, suggested we have a pajama story time and she would come and read. In December, we were able to host Spring Park Elementary. Not only did Mrs. Picray read, but we had a special guest, Mrs. Molly Curry, the mayor’s wife, participate as well. Mrs. Curry brought her three children in pajamas, and they all enjoyed the gingerbread, crafts, and activities.
Q: As head of SS’s Children’s Department, do you see future projects that you can build on your present successes?
A: In addition to the school pajama story time we also had a stuffed animal sleep over story time. In the future, I would like to have a once a month story time for families where both parents work and don’t have a chance to take their child to a morning story time. I would like to do a paper mache project with the 6th graders that come every afternoon at 3:00 when school gets out.
Q: Is there anything in your past work experience that has helped you in your current position?
A: For 5 years, I worked in the children’s department of Barnes and Noble and then I homeschooled my four children for almost 15 years. I have taught pre-k - 5th grade at least three times, and 6th and 7th grades once because my children entered public school at different times. Having four varied readers in my house has also made me keenly aware of different genres of children’s books, which is helpful when a recommendation is needed.
Q. Specifically, what did you do in these individual projects that effected such positive results?
I have been enthusiastic about welcoming families into the San Marco children’s department. I love children’s books and I love sharing those books with the kids and I don’t mind laughing at myself. My story times are not perfect and more than once a parent or caregiver has had to help me out with a rhyme but we always have a good time.
Part of creating community has been attending School Advisory Council (SAC) meetings at Spring Park Elementary. Through that partnership, Mrs. Picray, the media specialist, suggested we have a pajama story time and she would come and read. In December, we were able to host Spring Park Elementary. Not only did Mrs. Picray read, but we had a special guest, Mrs. Molly Curry, the mayor’s wife, participate as well. Mrs. Curry brought her three children in pajamas, and they all enjoyed the gingerbread, crafts, and activities.
Q: As head of SS’s Children’s Department, do you see future projects that you can build on your present successes?
A: In addition to the school pajama story time we also had a stuffed animal sleep over story time. In the future, I would like to have a once a month story time for families where both parents work and don’t have a chance to take their child to a morning story time. I would like to do a paper mache project with the 6th graders that come every afternoon at 3:00 when school gets out.
Q: Is there anything in your past work experience that has helped you in your current position?
A: For 5 years, I worked in the children’s department of Barnes and Noble and then I homeschooled my four children for almost 15 years. I have taught pre-k - 5th grade at least three times, and 6th and 7th grades once because my children entered public school at different times. Having four varied readers in my house has also made me keenly aware of different genres of children’s books, which is helpful when a recommendation is needed.
Barnes and Noble regularly changed not only their displays but rearranged the whole department to keep things interesting for customers. I also keep in mind what I wanted as a mom when I took my kids to story time. I started taking my oldest to story time in Palm Bay, FL. I loved the rhymes and books she chose but I don’t think she ever learned our names. By the time I took my youngest to story time we were in Jacksonville and we sat through Mrs. Mary’s story times at UPK. She was always so friendly to all of my children. I also took my children to Mrs. Marie and Mrs. Rebecca’s programs at Main and they also always made us feel welcome. It’s about marketing but it goes hand in hand with community.
An Easter 2015 picture of Emily's family, L/R: John-Thomas (20, clerk at Main; honors student at UNF); Emmett (15, IB student at Stanton); Josh (Supervisor
for the City Building Dept.); Elise (11, at Landon); Stewart (18, senior at
Stanton, accepted into the honors program at FSU for the fall) and Emily Gideon.
Q: Where do you see
yourself in five years?
A: In 5 years, I look forward to more established relationships with people in the San Marco community. I especially hope to see little Weston or little Nola, who came to my first story time a year and a half ago, come visit me to say they will be going to Landon middle school and they will look forward to visiting me after school.
In 5 years, I see my job of raising my children as almost done. I will only have one child at home in her junior year of high school, one just finishing his first year as an honor student at some unknown college and will have two done with their enrollment as honor students at UNF and FSU and hopefully will be getting their Masters.In five years, I see myself preparing for an empty nest and filling it with JPL and spending time with my husband, Joshua
A: In 5 years, I look forward to more established relationships with people in the San Marco community. I especially hope to see little Weston or little Nola, who came to my first story time a year and a half ago, come visit me to say they will be going to Landon middle school and they will look forward to visiting me after school.
In 5 years, I see my job of raising my children as almost done. I will only have one child at home in her junior year of high school, one just finishing his first year as an honor student at some unknown college and will have two done with their enrollment as honor students at UNF and FSU and hopefully will be getting their Masters.In five years, I see myself preparing for an empty nest and filling it with JPL and spending time with my husband, Joshua
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