Like most 15-year olds, Hanna Brown loves her laptop.
She also loves music, photography, art and movies. She even loves baking vegan desserts. But most of all, Hanna loves books.
This made her a good match for the Polk County Public Library’s summer intern position. The internship is funded by the Polk County Community Foundation and provides a local teen with the opportunity to experience library work first hand.
“I love books, so understandably, I love libraries,” Brown said. “I have always enjoyed coming to the Polk County Library, and I was thrilled to find such a perfect summer job for me.
Brown said she has been drawn to books since she was little.
“There’s something about a book that immerses you in a world completely unlike your own,” she said. “There are books that are made to entertain, and then there are those books with a message, a story that will stay with you forever. Those are the books I love best.”
Brown was pleased that the summer internship was flexible enough to allow her to pursue two of her other goals: taking summer classes at Isothermal’s Virtual College and attending the Polk County High School Cadets marching band camp.
“My experience at the library has been wonderful,” she said. “I have learned about library sciences and have a new respect for the people who run them. I am very excited for upcoming developments, such as the possibility for a new teen area I got to take part in shaping.
“I attended the summer reading program events and got the chance to work with some very talented people. I practiced my photography skills by taking pictures of the events, and the kids were wonderful.
“This has been an amazing opportunity for me and I have loved my time at the library. I’ve gained a lot of valuable work experience there and for that I’m very grateful.”
–article submitted
by Joy Sharp