Diane Kennedy fulfilled her first requirement for library “field experience” working at the Nashville Public Library. When it came time to complete her second required internship, she decided to go for a different kind of experience and called on her old classmate Janice Vaughn.
Kennedy lives in Nashville and is completing her masters in library science. Part of the program requires hands-on work in libraries. It was easy to go down the street and work at the “National Library of the Year” in Nashville, but she’s getting a much different kind of education working two weeks at Jesse Yancy Memorial Library in Bruce.
“This has been wonderful,” Kennedy said. “I have loved every bit of this.”
Last week, Kennedy hosted a program “Backyard Birds of Bruce” for the Youth Arts Council and the Calhoun Connections groups.
“We had a fun presentation, read some and then did a fun craft making bird feeders,” she said. “We went overtime working on the bird feeders. They really loved it.”
Kennedy and Jesse Yancy Librarian Janice Vaughn were classmates at MUW in college.
“She graduated two years before I did with a Degree in Library Science, but she stayed in Columbus and served as principal of Calvary Christian School,” Vaughn said. “After I graduated in 1980, we worked together for four more years before I came back home to Bruce. We have kept in close contact since then.”
“It’s been fun being here and reconnecting,” Kennedy said. “This library has so much to offer. That’s been a big part of my experience here.”
Her birds program provided education both on the subject and also with the library in stressing the resources the library has that the students can utilize to get more information on the subject.
“So often people are unaware of everything the library has to offer. I think they do a great job here of really taking the library’s programming to the places that it’s needed,” Kennedy said. “They go to the schools, nursing homes. That keeps the library on the radar and allows the community to recognize that this library is a very big part of who they are.”
Kennedy said working at the library in Bruce is a big change from the Nashville library, but the mission is still the same.
“They’re serving the community,” she said.
In addition to the library education, the highlight of this experience has been the opportunity to reunite with an old friend.
“We’ve been having great fun,” Kennedy said. “I’m staying with Janice and we’ve really enjoyed reminiscing and rediscovering why we love the library so much.”