These blog posts give our community a chance to better know their friendly Willoughby-Eastlake Library employees.
Meet Bryn Wolanski, Young Adult/Teen Librarian at the Willowick Library.
Why do you love libraries? What is your earliest library memory?
I love libraries because they’re a safe space to be yourself (at least, that’s the environment I strive to provide for my teens and all patrons). They have so much to offer that people don’t always realize! As for my earliest library memory… I remember being a kiddo at the Willowick Library looking for books! There were these orange books my parents checked out to teach me how to read. (Funnily enough, I absolutely HATED learning to read… and now I’m a librarian! Oh, the irony…)
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time I play video games, write, read, and go for walks. (I admit that I take a little bit of pride in Willowick’s varied collection of tabletop RPG handbooks, since I enjoy playing those as well.)
Check out video games here: https://bit.ly/3rnaIap
What is your favorite quote, passage, or piece of advice, and where did you read or receive it?
“You are only one decision away from a totally different life.”
I saw that quote on Facebook, I think, above a picture. Those words gave me the strength and courage to change the things I needed to in order to be truer to myself and live a more authentic life. I still carry those words very close to my heart, and whenever I feel stuck or see someone I care about feeling stuck, I reiterate that, in the end, life is a series of choices. We are the authors of our own stories, we are the main characters in our own tales, and if things aren’t going the way we’d like, then throw in a plot twist!
What is a library “hidden treasure” that you want patrons to know about or know more about?
I want not necessarily all patrons, but teens, to know that there are dedicated teen computers for them to use in the teen area AND we have video games that they can play whenever they want! I have a Nintendo Switch and an XBox One in my teen area, and I love having teens come in and play! (And, if you ask nicely, I’ll even let you win at Mario Kart if you challenge me 😛)
Teens: Join the Teen Gaming Club! The next meeting is Sat., Aug. 19, 2 – 4 pm. Register: https://bit.ly/44i1D12
What are you currently reading?
I’m currently working through The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (which I like so far). I love science fiction and fantasy books (and teen fiction, coincidentally). My go-to recommendations when teens ask me for books are The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, and One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus.
Check out The Name of the Wind: https://bit.ly/44Ennno
Check out The Cruel Prince: https://bit.ly/3rlrbvE
Check out Uglies: https://bit.ly/3PLQtwX
Check out One of Us is Lying: https://bit.ly/3DpzRUF
