To help teens prepare for college and career—as well as provide exposure to library career paths—we welcomed five paid teen interns at the library this summer. From mid-June through July, two interns worked in Materials Handling, two in the Main Library Creative Studio, and one in Facilities.
“I’m passionate about libraries and third spaces,” says Seth Hazarian, who interned on the Materials Handling team, sorting and shelving books. “I like the idea of a place where people can go and just exist and not have to spend money. Also, the distribution of knowledge for free? It’s great to be a part of that.”
‘I didn’t believe I got the job’
To get the internship, each teen completed a job readiness series in the spring before applying and being interviewed. Alpha Pare, who will be a high school sophomore this fall, says that when he learned he got the internship in the Creative Studio Makery space, “I didn’t believe that I got the job. I was very excited, very happy.”
Alpha, who will be a high school sophomore this fall, says he applied because his friends were applying, and because he wanted to learn new skills and meet new people.
Like fellow Creative Studio intern Giovanni Uzokwe, Alpha spent his time helping library users with Makery equipment and projects during open drop-in hours. (Favorite project: Making stickers. Most challenging? The sewing machine.)
“There’s a lot of equipment and projects in the Makery to learn about, and Giovanni and Alpha have hit the ground fast when it comes to learning the skills necessary for supporting library users in this space,” says John Gargiulo, Supervising Librarian of Creative Technology.
“It’s been great to have the interns offer some extra support for the public during our busy summer season.”
A full-circle moment
The internship program is now in its fifth year. Middle and High School Services Manager Latonia Jackson is proud to point out that this summer, former intern Kiara Behensky was hired as a library staff member while attending college.
After she graduates, Kiara plans to pursue a Master of Library and Information Science degree program. “Being able to work at the library has been a great opportunity for me,” Kiara says, “because it has given me a taste of what it would be like to work in a library professionally, and confirmed that this is something I would want to do.”
“That full-circle moment is exactly why we do this work,” Jackson says. “We’re not simply providing jobs. We are building confidence, skills, and pathways to future success.”
Seth, intern in Materials Handling, agrees he’s getting tangible experience that’s applicable for a future job. “Everyone is super helpful,” he says. “It’s a great environment.”
Amaka Uzokwe, who also interned in Materials Handling, says she wanted the internship because she’s spent a lot of time at the library, going to programs and making friends, and she hoped this experience will help her get a job. She wants to go into nursing or hospital administration.
‘Whatever they do, I’m doing’
Chawn Anderson, who graduated high school in May, came to the internship with some previous experience. He was a library intern in previous summers, took some trade school classes, and worked in facilities for a Chicago law firm as part of his high school work-study program.
Still, “I never got on a ladder as much until here,” says Chawn, who worked with the library’s Facilities Team doing everything from painting walls to fixing plumbing problems, cleaning HVAC filters, and ferrying bins of books between the Main Library and the Dole and Maze branches.
“Whatever they do, I’m doing,” he says, referring to Facilities staff members. “Everybody is great. It makes work fun.”
Chawn is headed to college at Southern Illinois University this fall, where he will study cybersecurity. He believes this career path will have longevity, and says he hopes to do repair and maintenance-type jobs on the side.
“I always ask questions, if I don’t know something,” Chawn says. “I always pay attention. Even the littlest things, I make sure those things are good. And I’m always willing to help.”
Fall programs for college & career readiness
The library’s Middle & High School Services runs mentorship programs during the school year, as well as events about preparing for college and career, including:
Beyond the Books Co-Ed Mentor Program
Mondays starting September 21, 4 pm, Main Library
Empowers teens to grow socially, emotionally, and personally while learning how to design their futures with intention. Through vision-building, goal setting, and real-world skill development, students discover who they are, what they want, and how to create a step-by-step plan to achieve it.
Leading Edge Teen Advisory Board (LETAB)
Apply to join this teen-led organization that promotes, supports, and creates library initiatives at Oak Park Public Library and throughout the community. We focus on programs, service, and advocacy that give teens a voice and facilitate opportunities for leadership.
Get notified about all upcoming Middle & High School events, including college and career readiness programs, by signing up for the monthly Middle & High Schoolers email.