This column, part of the monthly Heavy Metal Librarian series, originally ran in the Get Out! section of the Green Valley News on November 23, 2022. The series is authored by Charlie Touseull, Tween/Teen Librarian at Joyner-Green Valley Library.
Fall is here and it means snowbirds are officially flocking back to the desert. It is an annual occurrence that brings a combination of new residents to the area and those who are returning once again to bask in our relatively mild Sonoran winter.
And with that influx of people, staff at the Joyner-Green Valley Library have the pleasure of welcoming new patrons and get to create lots of new library cards for our neighbors. Do you know someone who doesn't have a card? Pass along this link with more information!
Greeting new patrons to the library is something that I very much enjoy. It is an opportunity I have to enthusiastically welcome folks to our branch, show them some warm hospitality, and to share some of the cool things that the library can do for them.
As a librarian it is my responsibility to empower our community with all of the tools that we have provided so they may fully participate in the world of information, entertainment, and literature, both in our physical spaces and online. One thing that I often do not get to share with them during those brief interactions at the desk is how they can contribute to the development of our collection.
Did you know that with your library card, you have the ability to suggest what items you would like to see added to our physical and electronic shelves? Our purchasers continuously strive to create a diverse collection of titles that appeal to the tastes of our entire community, but they love to receive recommendations that reflect patrons' specific interests.
When logging in to your library account on our main page, simply visit our Suggest a Purchase page to recommend new items we should be adding to our physical or electronic holdings. If that suggestion meets a specific set of criteria and the item is added to the catalog, you will be notified of the purchase and you can be the first one to check it out once it becomes available.
If what you are looking for is an older title that we do not own, but is currently available at another library outside of our system, we can place an interlibrary loan for you! ILL is one of my favorite services that libraries offer. When I was working in ILL at the University of Arizona, we loaned and borrowed hundreds of items to and from libraries all over the world on a daily basis. It was amazing to see the breadth of human knowledge being shared so freely between institutions and patrons.
So, if you want to re-read that classic you loved when you were in high school, or that new book that you just heard about on the radio, let your local librarian know about it and we can help you out!
Always know that libraries are here for you and this is your library. Librarians and library staff are always happy to assist in your lifelong pursuit of knowledge and creativity, no matter who you are or where you are from.
