I have always, in my heart, wanted to be a school librarian: so it is a pleasure to introduce myself, Sandra (Pocci) Griffin, as a librarian of Canton St. Joseph School.  The opportunity presented itself thirteen years ago when our present principal’s mother, Ann Maccora, then principal hired me for the open position.  I have a background in elementary education (Associate Degree); and when my youngest was beginning his Master’s, I quit a job of 25 years; went back to college and received a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in children’s literature and library science.  Thus, this is a second career and a real ministry of service I longed to do.

 

Born in the early 40’s, I have been a part of the St. Joseph family for almost 60 years.  My husband Jim and I have been members of St. Joseph church all our lives.  My husband, siblings and children were educated at SJS.  Our sacraments, including marriage, took place here for us and two of our children.  You can understand why I feel like I am working at home.

 

The mechanics of being librarian include selecting and acquiring books through various sources; accessing and cataloguing material; promoting circulation of our collection; supporting students’ and teachers’ needs and requests; maintaining our collection through repair work; keeping daily circulation records; planning story sessions and reading activities; using community resources to enhance the students’ library experience; proper shelving; creating theme displays to attract students to books; monitoring student research through computers and the written word and doing inventory of the collection every two years.  The heart of being librarian is to create a warm, respectful environment that allows students to be productive and acquire a love of books and reading.  The key tool I use to reach this goal is imagination.