A Library Story
“Without the library, some people lose access to a safe space, internet, technology needs and educational materials. For a lot of young people, especially children, the library is one of the only places in town where they can socialize without the need to spend money.”
As an employee in the Lending Services department, Jay Warner can often be found creating timely displays, processing returns and merchandise purchases, or shelving library materials. But there’s another role she takes seriously at the library. “Oftentimes, I am among the first staff people see when they enter the building,” she said. “So I create a welcoming environment by greeting customers and providing excellent customer service when my help is needed.”
Jay’s ties to the library stretch back to her childhood when she would check out as many books as she could during family trips to Princeton and after she moved here at the start of middle school, the library became a place where Jay could access information that supplemented what she was learning about in the classroom. “After school, the library was the main place I would go to spend time with friends.”
Now, as a student studying for a master’s degree in library and information science, Jay considers herself fortunate to be working in a library with a reputation for being “one of the best libraries in the country. “This library is great at listening to community needs and adapting when necessary,” she said.
“The library provides so much more than books. It is a place for socializing, education and entertainment.”