By Dot Bergin
Although she’s been on the job less than two full days, Bethany Klem, newly hired Head of Children’s Services at the Bedford Free Public Library, already feels right at home. With several years’ experience as a children’s librarian, Bethany agrees that each work place is different but the fundamentals are the same. Right now she’s concentrating on getting to know her young patrons and meeting their dads, moms and caregivers. When the Bedford Citizen reporter spent a few minutes with her on the first day of the job, happily all was calm in the Children’s Room, with toddlers engaged in toys and older children working at the computers or reading quietly.
Bethany told the Citizen that she is very much aware of the “legacy” of outstanding service provided by her predecessors in the job – particularly long-time librarian Sharon McDonald.
Luckily for Bedford children, Bethany plays the ukulele and sings, both talents that will smooth her introduction into a new community. As she says, there is nothing like singing and teaching songs to catch and hold children’s attention. In an earlier library position, she introduced an activity called “Move and Groove,” which proved to be very popular. For now, she’s taking a few days to settle in before launching new programs. In the meantime, Toddler Stories on Monday mornings will be led by Assistant Children’s Librarian Nancy Tegeler and the November offering “Family Music with Sarah” continues on Nov. 20. (No special activities are scheduled for Nov. 27.)
Bethany is a new mom herself, with a one-year old son, Eli, in the Waltham home she shares with her husband Dennis. She isn’t a native New Englander; in fact she grew up in Nebraska and never thought of coming east to college until she visited Wellesley, where she fell in love with the school. Her major studies there? Religion, which she says was a good choice since she didn’t really know what career path she would follow. During her undergraduate years she sang in the choir and worked in various Wellesley libraries. Upon graduation, it seemed a natural path to go on to earn a master’s degree in library science at the University of Iowa.
About the ukulele: her mother, an elementary school teacher, thought Bethany needed a musical instrument if she planned to work with children. And so the ukulele, which had been a gift to Bethany’s own mom at the age of 13, was passed along to her daughter.
Library users-with or without children-are invited to stop by the Children’s Room and say hello to the newest staff member. She is eager to know our community.
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