Earle Librarian to speak at Hot Springs conference

Earle Librarian to speak at Hot Springs conference

Taylor sees library as community ‘ hub for learning’

news@theeveningtimes.com

Earle librarian P.J. Taylor will get a chance to share her experience working in a small city library at an upcoming library conference in Hot Springs.

Taylor was invited by Arkansas Library Association to speak to the group and will be traveling to the ALPS Conference on May 18-20.

“They want me to talk about some of the challenges small libraries face and some of the things I have put in place to try and grow our library here in Earle,” Taylor said.

The theme of this year’s convention is “Score Big @ Your Library” and will feature a keynote address by Walt Coleman, a football referee in the National Football League who lives in Little Rock.

The convention will also feature panels on topics ranging from how to create lifelong library patrons, customer service, adult programming, animal-assisted activities, growing community involvement, cataloging, reciprocal borrowing, library careers, and new computer programming.

Taylor’s topic is “The Library is a Hub for Learning with Education in Mind.”

She said she is honored to be asked to speak and to share her successful strategies which have helped grow community involvement at the tiny Earle library branch. “It’s a real honor for me to go and to get to spread the word about the good things happening at our library in Earle,” Ewing said. “I’m really looking forward to going.”

Ewing moved to Edmondson from Michigan in 2013 and originally started out volunteering at that library. Although she has no formal library training, the county library system took notice of her work in Edmondson and hired her as acting Library Manager in Earle.

Since taking over, Taylor has focused on offering more programs in Earle for both seniors and students and all ages, and to raise the library’s profile in the community.

Taylor started a Pen-Pal Readers program where teens read two books a week, read to others, and write book reports and also work as library ambassadors.

The Earle branch also participates in the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive and recently published a community cook book. Senior citizens also made a community quilt.

Her most recent efforts have been directed at obtaining grant funding to build a new library in Earle. The current location is only 600 square feet and needs more space to grow.

Taylor said she continues to work tirelessly to spread the word in the community about the good things going on at their local library.

“I love this community and I think we have one of the best libraries for a small city like Earle,” Taylor said. “I am so passionate about this library and want everybody in Earle to know that they have a library and to come and use it.”

By Mark Randall