LONG BEACH — CSEA’s Long Beach Library Unit members are dedicated to serving the more than 1,500 patrons who visit the library each month.
Being that the City of Long Beach is a seasonal community, members’ work efforts are dictated by the time of the year.
“In the summer, our [Long Beach] population doubles and we have more patrons in the adult section,” said Long Beach Library Unit 1st Vice President Russell Stein. “The adults are on vacation, so they’re usually looking for books and movies to borrow.”
As for the youth services section, fewer children typically visit during the day in the summer season due to the rise in outdoor family activities.
Librarian Assistant Nicole Menzzasalma sorts through a series of returned books.
When school starts, the youth services department becomes busy with students who use the library’s resources for school projects and as a quiet place to do homework.
CSEA members work with library patrons “from birth to adulthood.” No matter what stage in life a community member is in, our members are there to help them through it.
“We have a mindfulness workshop for both children and adults, which incorporates elements of meditation and yoga,” said Long Beach Library Unit President Tanya Suárez-Matos. “The class teaches people how to relax and be more aware of their surroundings.”
The library is also part of the City of Long Beach’s concert series, which features a variety of bands representing different music genres.
“For example, we have an annual jazz festival, which goes on from Friday to Sunday,” said Suárez-Matos.
“Over 200 patrons can listen to visiting bands in the library auditorium.”
Graphic Designer Tim Dupont prepares copies of the library newsletter.
Unit members in the library’s custodial department are responsible for setting up, and breaking down, for the library events. The graphic designers help promote events through creating and distributing flyers.
Ideas for library programs not only come from patrons, but from library workers who want to share their interests with their community.
“The programs are passion projects,” said Stein. “They are subjects that we are naturally curious about and enjoy. We then expose those interests to our patrons.”
Being that the library has a limited budget, our members have to think of creative ways to hold programs.
“We hold a bimonthly cooking program, but we don’t have a kitchen,” said Suárez-Matos. “Instead, we use toaster ovens and griddle pans. You really have to be creative to get things done.”
Adult Services Library Clerks Diane Dudderar and Marion Beloyianis greet all library patrons with a smile.
The great working relationship amongst the library staff also helps the library’s productivity.
“Having a close relationship with each other allows us to bounce ideas off of each other,” said Stein. “We can turn to one another when we have a problem with a patron or specific work tasks.”
“We work so closely together, and I’ve worked with people so long that I can predict what someone wants before they ask for it,” said Suárez-Matos.
Our Long Beach Library workers are a very personable group, to the point that residents from surrounding communities visit the library because they enjoy the staff.
“People always tell us how much they like this library because of how welcoming it is and the friendliness of the staff,” said Suárez-Matos. “We genuinely enjoy working here and the patrons can see that.”
— Wendi Bowie
