Seymour Library welcomes new children's librarian

Kelly Deltoro-White is Seymour Library's new children's librarian.

Seymour Library welcomes new children's librarian

"Where else but a library can you have a wonderful time and get people interested in learning?" asked Kelly Deltoro-White, the new children's librarian at Seymour Library. "I know what great literature is and how wonderful it can be," she said. "My role is to prepare children to seek out great literature later on." A native of Groveland Station, White earned a bachelor of arts in English literature at Princeton University in New Jersey. "I focused on medieval literature," she said, "and its interaction with contemporary juvenile fiction." She then attended SUNY Buffalo and earned a master's degree in library and information science.

It was during a class at Princeton that White decided to pursue librarianship. "We were in the rare books room in the Firestone Library," White said. As she was holding Robert Browning's first edition copy of poems by Percy Shelly, she thought, "This is exciting." … "I want to connect people to these kinds of experiences."

In addition to her zeal and education, White plays several instruments and enjoys singing. She has an informal background in theatre, which she feels enables her to be an engaging storyteller. "I seek to get the crowd involved in whatever I do," she said. "Also, I have very eclectic tastes in materials but very high standards."

Before applying for the position, White was unfamiliar with Brockport. "When I came for the interview," she said, "I was impressed by the beauty of the area and by the friendliness of the people here. At the library, I was impressed by the friendly staff and the fantastic community of people who come here. They love the library and it's important to them," she said.

Her biggest challenge has been discerning what the community expects from its children's librarian. "It is important for me to reflect the needs of my community in my choice of literature and my choice of programming," White said. So she has sought out patrons' opinions.
White has already scheduled story times for toddlers and pre-school children beginning in October. She is considering a family story night and a Saturday morning story time for school age children. "I'd like to see more kids coming into the library," she said. "I want to reach out to the community. I want to invite people who have never been here before to visit the library regularly," she said. "I want people to know that there are exiting things happening at the library."

Seymour Library is located at 161 East Avenue in Brockport. For program information call the information desk at 637-1050.