Meet Sue Abrahamson

Meet Sue Abrahamson, the current chair of the Youth Services Section! Sue is a great combination of committed and hilarious, which I think you'll figure out if you read this interview.

Sue in her element--in the library, holding her beautiful granddaughter

How did you get involved in YSS?

Ha! It was serendipity! You know when you join WLA you can choose two FREE sections or roundtables... well, working with children at the library, YSS was an obvious choice. When I became Youth Services Liaison for the Outagamie Waupaca Library System I met some marvelous librarians with wonderful ideas and got sucked into their sphere of friendship. Sphere of Friendship.... hmmm, I like that! After attending my first YSS Board Meeting I realized that volunteering for YSS would be an easy way to keep in touch with these new friends.

What do you love about your job?

1. Connecting books with kids
2. Helping families meet their literacy needs
3. No two days are alike.... I love new projects!

What do you love to do when you aren’t at work?

My husband and I just started geocaching as something inexpensive to do and be outdoors as we age. It's like finding buried treasure! And we get to see beautiful parts of the country that we might have overlooked.

If we were going to put together a gallery of terrible programs, what would your submission be?

Have everyone read the same book and take a comprehension test every chapter.

What are your go-to blogs or other sources of information?

• I'm loving Pinterest.... but need more time to play.
• Marge Loch-Wouters blog: Tiny Tips for Library Fun.
• Watch, Connect, Read a blog by school librarian (K-5) Mr. Schu.
• Fuse #8 by Betsy Bird of New York Public Library.
• and of course the YSS Blog which has been getting terrific guest posts.

If you could meet any book character or author, who would you pick, what would you do with them, and why?

In my dream, Jon Scieszka, First Ambassador of Young People's Literature, would make an appearance at the Waupaca Book Festival. I would enter him into a pie- eating contest after which we would joust with swim noodles on the front lawn of the library. It would be soooo much fun. His friends, Mac Barnett, Adam Rex, and Jarrett Krosoczka might like to join him. It would be a "Guys Read" spectacular!

A favorite book you used in a program in the past year?

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. I used this one with our Mother-Daughter Book Club. Grace Lin has a great website with activities for many of her books. We had great fun with the puzzling projects by using the Event Kit.

A favorite book (any age) you read in the past year?

Too many to mention...... love Chloe and the Lion (picture book - just out) by Mac Barnett; An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo; Bluefish by Pat Schmatz (Wisconsin author)

Goals for YSS while you are chair?

To get all those people who checked the YSS box when applying for WLA membership to follow the YSS Blog, socialize at conferences, and take part in the work of the unit..... only if it's fun.

Anything else you want to tell us?

Gotta get back to work... I'm always at least three days behind...