Hi, I’m Sophie. I’m so excited to be a part of the Glen Ellyn Public Library team as Youth Department Assistant Director! As a resident of Glen Ellyn, I have always been grateful for the library’s resources, expansive services, and top-notch programming. This past year, my family relied on the library to help us during challenging times and it feels wonderful to contribute to its mission of connecting the community and supporting lifelong learning and discovery.
Before graduating with my MLIS, I worked at a media agency specializing in experiential marketing. While it was a highly creative and dynamic environment, I found that my volunteer work as a literacy tutor was much more fulfilling. I loved connecting children with reading and opening up a world of possibilities through books. I now have nine years of experience as a youth librarian, working in both Illinois and Florida libraries. I’ve taught hundreds of storytime classes, and while early literacy is a passion of mine, I’m really looking forward to providing technology instruction to members, including 3D printing, coding, and robotics classes.
As an Asian American and mother of biracial children, it’s really important to me that the needs of all community members are reflected in our collection, programs, services, and policies. One of the many things that drew me to this position was the recent Glen Ellyn Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Project, spearheaded by the library and embraced community-wide in January. Virtual moderated panels with village leadership and multiple local agencies were held to inform residents about each organization’s efforts in addressing these issues. If you missed the panels, you can view the recordings for the panel with village leaders and the panel for community organizations . The library also reached out to the public for their views on the current state of diversity, equity and inclusion in Glen Ellyn through community listening sessions . These conversations provided important feedback and guidance on how the library can move forward.
I’ve always believed the library is for everyone and all are welcome here. As a child, the library was my home away from home and integral in helping develop my creativity, ambition, and love of learning. Every visit is a formative experience, so I hope each of our visitors leave feeling engaged, supported, and empowered!