Johnson is new children’s librarian

PHILLIPS — Linda Johnson, of Phillips, was recently named the Youth Services Librarian at the Phillips Public Library.

Johnson fills the vacancy left by former children’s librarian Jake Wyrzykowski, who accepted a similar position at the Friday Library in New Richmond. Johnson previously worked as a paraprofessional at the Phillips Elementary School and while this is her first library role she said it is a natural step having worked so much with kids and education.

“I love working with children,” Johnson said.

Engaging young minds and getting them to interact socially in an atmosphere of learning and fun through programming and activities is very exciting for Johnson. She said the library is a way to move from a relatively smaller group of kids in the classroom and into a larger community-based setting.

“I loved my school community, and I still do,” she said. “I hope to continue to work with the teachers and staff and students at the elementary school and just kind of collaborate, to get our kids into the library as more of a community setting.”

The library is a way to branch out to the larger community and work with the homeschool families that use the library as a resource. She would not otherwise meet some of these families in the school setting.

“It’s been really fun to meet those families and figure out ways to help them with what they’re doing with their teaching and learning at home,” Johnson said. “For me this has been about being community-based.”

The programming she inherited includes Story Time Wednesdays, Fun Fridays, and the summer program that is winding up. Going forward her goal will be to continue programming that fosters a feeling of community and of bringing people together in the spirit of learning and reading. It’s about teaching kids to enjoy putting the electronics down for a while and enjoying books and being in the company of others just as much.

Watching how the children reacted to Mike Schneider’s “Pint-Sized Polka” program on July 10, helped to reinforce Johnson’s belief in incorporating art and music with programming. The multi-sensory experience instills the lessons in a fun and meaningful way.

“They take away the feeling that comes along with dancing and having a good time,” she said.

As a licensed yoga instructor for youth and adults, Johnson said she would design ways to teach yoga to children at the library. She previously taught yoga to elementary school children in an after school program.

“I was doing yoga classes for the students and they really loved it,” she said. “I hope to be able to continue that at a bigger community level at the library.”

Children’s yoga is about self-exploration and understanding better how the body moves. It can also help children find peace in a world of instant gratification where everything is available at their fingertips, she said.

“I think that they really enjoy it,” Johnson said. “The children’s (yoga) looks a lot different from the adults because I incorporate animals and things of that nature. We start very basic and as they get older then we kind of explore a little bit more with some of the postures and breathing techniques and things explore a little bit more with some of the postures and breathing techniques and things.”