I, a young ice bear, am setting out on a new adventure: to learn more about the library. For those that don't know me, I am Vanilla Ice Bear, a member of the Children's team at the Main Library. I help out with Story Time with my mom [Haylee Blystone] and Ms. Nikki [Nikki Glassley]. I usually stay in the children's department and focus on programming, but I want to do more! I want to learn all about the library and the employees that make everything happen. I decided to start with Ms. Nikki since she's close to home [one desk away]. She's a very busy woman, but I managed to snag an interview with her.

Sitting down with Nikki Glassley

Vanilla: Ms. Nikki, we've known each other for a couple years now, and we've never really sat down and just talked. 

Nikki: That's true!

V: Even though our desks are right next to each other. So, I'd like to take this time to really get to know you, Nikki Glassley.

N: I love that! That's great. 

V: So, we do story time together. We do Music & Movement Wednesdays at 10:30 am. What made you get into story times and doing story times for the people?

N: Well, I've been a children's librarian for 10 years, and doing Story Time is an important part of being a children's librarian to try and help kids see how fun books can be and give their grown-ups some ideas for making reading out loud fun.

V: That's a really good answer. I like that! And that led to story time?

N: Yeah!

V: 10 years. Wow. You must have been like 10 when you started?

N: [laughs] Yeah, you have no concept of age huh.

V: Okay, so you started in children's?

N: Yep.

V: And you just stayed?

N: I did.

V: What makes you stay forever?

N: I love working with kids. I don't have much of an interest in working with grown-ups unless they are somehow connected to children, teachers, parents, caregivers, that kind of thing. I just really love how curious kids are. They want answers to so many questions. They love what they love, and they're not ashamed of it. They're just creative, interesting little people, and they're so fun to work with.

V: That's really beautiful Miss Nikki. I've never heard anyone talk about children like that — like most people say they could be little monsters! So that's nice that we got a good librarian up there teaching the children. 

N: I do my best. 

V: I think you do a great job! 

V: So you don't just do story time.

N: That's right.

V: You also are the leader of Summer Reading. 

N: That's true. Yes. 

V: How did you start doing that? Did you decide to do that?

N: Kind of yeah. So, I've been working at the main library for about five years now, and about three years ago, I took over the position running summer reading, and that makes me the children's librarian for the Main library downtown, also the summer reading coordinator, sort of a two-for-one job.

V: So only the children's librarian at Main does summer reading? Like it couldn't be someone at a different location?

N: That's right, yeah.

V: Okay, so by choosing to be the librarian here, you have kind of chosen to then run summer reading?

N: Yes. 

V: Well, do you like it?

N: I love summer reading. Yeah, it can be really stressful. It can be, it is a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun to see everything come together. And it's really cool to run a program that everybody is doing across the entire county in all 21 locations. 

V: Wow, that's a lot of responsibility.

N: It is a lot of responsibility.

V: When you put it like that, you're running it for 21 locations. 

N: Yes.

V: I don't even know we had that many! 

N: Yeah, 21. 22 if you count NECAT.

V: Yeah, we should count NECAT. They're awesome!

[Both laugh]

V: What do you want the people to know about summer reading?

N: What do I want the people to know about summer reading? Well, I would really love the people to know how much effort goes into summer reading from the entire committee.

V: A committee? 

N: [nods] A committee. There's about 15 of us who work really hard all year, all 12 months of the year, to make summer reading happen.

V: Oh, yeah, I think my mom does that [Haylee Blystone]. 

N: It's true. Yeah, Haylee has been on the committee as long as I've been running summer reading.

V: That's right. She started and then jumped on the committee.

N: And she is indispensable. [laughs]

V: So do you pick the people that go on the committee?

N: I do. Yeah, I try to pick people from all over the system, that work with all different ages, at all different locations, so that we have a committee that really represents NPL as a whole. 

V: Wow, I didn't know that that much work and thought really went into that program.

N: Blood, sweat and tears man.

V: That's so cool. Now that we've talked about what you do, what about you? So like I mentioned, we've been working together for quite a while, but I don't know your favorite color is.

N: Green. 

V: Your favorite food?

N: Ice cream. 

V: Ah! Ice! I love that.

[both laugh]

V: Favorite animal? Bears, perhaps?

N: Ooh, bears are a really good one. But I think I would have to say that my favorite animal, I think it might be snails. 

V: Snail?

N: I love snails. 

V: Are snails animals?

N: Well, they're not a mammal, but they're not people. 

V: We're learning!

[both laugh]

V: Okay, well, what's your favorite bear? 

N: My favorite bear? Gosh, I think I'd have to say polar bear. 

V: That's a good answer! What is a book that you would recommend to anybody who reads this
interview?

N: Anybody who reads this interview who is curious about why my favorite animal is the snail, should read Escargot by Dashka Slater. 

V: Okay and is there just anything else you'd like to share Miss Nikki?

N: I'm really excited about this new venture you're taking on. I'm really excited to see you branch out outside of story time and for people to really get to know the Vanilla that I know and love. 

V: Thank you! I'm excited to meet all kinds of people across the library, so stay tuned and see all the cool people we meet. 

N: I can't wait. 

Summer Reading Challenge