Meet Jeni Schomber, YSS Board Member

YSS Board Member Jeni Schomber is Interim Director and Head of Youth Services at the Beloit Public Library.

 

Jeni Schomber

What makes you most excited to come to work?

Being able to work with creative people who love their jobs.

What’s a program or service you’ve developed that you are most proud of?

I am currently working on having LeapPad Ultra tablets available for kids to use in the Children’s Area and for circulation as well. I received grant funding from the Alliant Energy Foundation and our Library’s Friends group provided funding to purchase 6 LeapPads and additional educational apps.

 What book character would you be most excited to have over for dinner?  What would you serve them/what would you do?

Given my current reading voyage through life, I would love to have Penny from the Kevin Henkes series over for dinner. She is such a well-behaved little mouse and I think she would get along with my husband and my dogs. I would serve cheese, of course.

What is one of your greatest challenges as a librarian?

Getting kids to realize the abundance of knowledge, enrichment and entertainment found in books. The Internet is not the answer to everything.

What made you decide to say yes to the YSS Board?

I have always wanted to be involved in libraries at the state level and having served on YSS in the past, it just felt right to say “yes” again.

What is something unrelated to work that you like to do?

My husband and I take day trips and long weekends to drive around the Midwest to see the different homes and buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Any other tidbits to share?

My Youth Staff affectionately calls me “Jeni Scissorhands” because I am a purger – not a characteristic you often see in Children’s librarians! At least I think they are being affectionate…