Hannah Stuparyk
Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS)
In a unique role as a book bike pilot for the Camrose Public Library, Hannah brings books and programming directly to the community. We asked Hannah to tell us more about her work and what it has meant to her.
Q: What does a day look like in your current role?
A: Every day is totally different! Since Camrose is a small community with no public transit, our main goal is to bring the library to people. The book bike is able to do everything the library can, just on a smaller, more mobile scale. We load up our bike with lots of books, games and crafts and have been able to do everything from attending a weekly farmer’s market, partnering with various non-profit and community groups, to visiting parks, daycares, and seniors centres. We’ve even been able to run a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with teens and hold a really amazing meteor shower viewing with hot chocolate!
Q: What has been your most memorable co-op experience so far?
A: Building relationships within the community has been huge this summer. We have been able to partner with a youth shelter to run weekly programming for at risk youth which has been incredible. The ability to see the same people on a weekly basis and really get to know them has been so much fun and I loved seeing familiar faces at various programs throughout the summer! It’s definitely helped me feel more connected to my community.
Q: How is Arts Co-op helping you achieve your goals?
A: Being in a professional program like the MLIS, I think that gaining practical experience is extremely important to connect the work done in the classroom to the reality we will face in the ‘field’. This position has given me a lot of freedom to just try new things and exercise a new level of professional responsibility. While I always knew I wanted to work in public libraries, this Co-op term definitely surprised me as it helped narrow my focus to working with youth and children which I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I have!
Hannah Stuparyk
Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS)
In a unique role as a book bike pilot for the Camrose Public Library, Hannah brings books and programming directly to the community. We asked Hannah to tell us more about her work and what it has meant to her.
Q: What does a day look like in your current role?
A: Every day is totally different! Since Camrose is a small community with no public transit, our main goal is to bring the library to people. The book bike is able to do everything the library can, just on a smaller, more mobile scale. We load up our bike with lots of books, games and crafts and have been able to do everything from attending a weekly farmer’s market, partnering with various non-profit and community groups, to visiting parks, daycares, and seniors centres. We’ve even been able to run a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with teens and hold a really amazing meteor shower viewing with hot chocolate!
Q: What has been your most memorable co-op experience so far?
A: Building relationships within the community has been huge this summer. We have been able to partner with a youth shelter to run weekly programming for at risk youth which has been incredible. The ability to see the same people on a weekly basis and really get to know them has been so much fun and I loved seeing familiar faces at various programs throughout the summer! It’s definitely helped me feel more connected to my community.
Q: How is Arts Co-op helping you achieve your goals?
A: Being in a professional program like the MLIS, I think that gaining practical experience is extremely important to connect the work done in the classroom to the reality we will face in the ‘field’. This position has given me a lot of freedom to just try new things and exercise a new level of professional responsibility. While I always knew I wanted to work in public libraries, this Co-op term definitely surprised me as it helped narrow my focus to working with youth and children which I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I have!