GETTING TO KNOW: STEPHANIE SQUICCIARINI
Age: 42
Hometown: Selden (Long Island), now lives in Irondequoit
Occupation: Teen/Young Adult Services librarian at Fairport Public Library where she’s worked for nearly 10 years ... “The best 10 years of my working life!”
Family: Husband Fred
Hobbies: Reading, shopping, movies, fretting (just something I often do!)
Why did you want to work with teenagers?
“I actually went to library school thinking I wanted to be a law librarian. Then I became enamored with cataloging. During my second semester at University of Buffalo (where I received my MLS), I took a young adult services class and I was hooked. Teens have often been caught in the middle at libraries, with budgets being squeezed and not a huge focus on this age group. This has been changing over the 10 years I have been a librarian with Fairport Public Library, being the first library in the Monroe County Library System to create and allocate funds for a full-time teen-dedicated position. And I was lucky enough to be hired for that position!”
What do you like most about your job?
“All of it. I love my job. Every day is something different. I get to work with teens and try to build a collection that they will enjoy. I get to meet new people and learn new things right beside them. I work with the most amazing and caring people. I get to be creative and have the support to try new things without fearing failure. This has led me to be able to start the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival! What's not to love?”
What are the challenges and rewards of working closely with teenagers?
“Teens are going through some of the most challenging times of their lives. I remember what it is like to be a teen. It can be fun and brutal at the same time. So the challenges come with trying to find that balance for and with them. Making sure that we continue to offer what they need when they need it. And because those needs can change so quickly, it can be challenging to keep up. The rewards are too numerous to count. It just takes one teen to let me know how much they enjoyed a book I recommended ... or even to tell me how much they hated it ... to know that on some level I made a connection with them.”
What's special or unique about the teenagers in Fairport/Perinton?
“Great question! I often hear people complaining about teens. That maybe they are too loud or ‘misbehaving,’ but what I see in teens in Fairport/Perinton is that they have this breath-taking ability to laugh. And they can be deeply caring. We have some extremely talented teens in Fairport. And some wildly avid readers! Our circulation of teen materials has increased 410 percent over the past 10 years. Some people complain that teens don't read. Well, they sure do in Fairport!”
