Date: October 7th
Time: 10am-3pm
For this shift, I got the fun opportunity to do outreach at Mickelson Park in Calimesa, CA. We had the therapy dog organization come out so the kids could read to the dogs, which was honestly the most adorable thing. We had about 90 kids come out alone and they just loved being with the dogs—you could see how much calmer some of the more hesitant readers became once they settled in next to a dog. There's something about reading to an animal that takes the pressure off in a way that reading aloud to adults doesn't. There were no complaints by any teachers or children, which felt like a minor miracle given how chaotic outdoor events with that many kids can get. We also had some craft booths I helped set up that consisted of a sticker and pin making machine, which was super popular. Kids were lining up multiple times to make different designs, and some were getting surprisingly creative with layering stickers to make their own compositions.
My job right now in outreach is to help set up and tear down, which sounds simple but involves a lot of logistics—making sure tables are stable, supplies are restocked, and everything's packed efficiently so we're not making multiple trips. We also have the bookmobile, so if parents want to go inside to look or check something out, I'm there to help. It's a different vibe than working the reference desk because people are more casual and spontaneous about what they're looking for, and you're trying to help them quickly since they're often keeping an eye on their kids outside. Overall this was a successful event and gave me even more skills interacting with kids and adults in less structured settings, which is its own challenge compared to the controlled environment inside the library.
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