by Anne Gibson
“Hurry Up and Wait” may be appropriate. Here in the Southeast Pima County service area, the staff members of the Gibson-Esmond Station Library are ready and anxious to open fully in order to adequately serve you.
The key word is fully. On May 14th, Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry continued health and safety measures until further notice. The Gibson-Esmond Station Library is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. with “limited services.” Masks must be worn inside the library. The 9,500 square foot library has a modified occupancy limit of 36 members of the public. Visitors must comply with social distancing of six feet distance between others.
Perhaps with more people vaccinated, less illness, and fewer deaths, the libraries will be back to complete service soon.
Once fully open, the library’s two study rooms will be available to the public at no charge, said Amy Bivins, Library Associate at the Gibson-Esmond Station Library. The study rooms each seat up to four students or adults on a first come, first serve basis and are very popular. Groups or individuals are limited to two hours a day.
“The smart screen in each room can connect wirelessly or by HDMI cable to a laptop so everyone in the room can see a video or other presentations without having to crowd around a small screen,” Bivins said. The study rooms use the same wifi that is available throughout the library building.
The study rooms have many uses. Students come to work on class instructions, adults conduct interviews or small meetings, or maybe there is a Zoom conference.
Amy Bivins is a native of Tucson who began working for Pima County Libraries in 1997 as a page at Woods Memorial Library on First Avenue. She has a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Arizona. In her spare time Amy likes hanging out with her family, puttering in her yard, and reading. Her favorite books to read are historical novels, popular science, or nature writings.
“Currently all storytimes are suspended throughout the Pima County Public Library system,” said Monica Crepes, Esmond Station Library’s librarian for Children Services, as she comment that “she anticipates when fully open the storytimes most likely would be held prior to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays” in the children’s reading room. There is no charge to Storytimes participation.
Storytimes are a wonderful opportunity for parents to introduce their children to reading, language, and early math in a fun interactive environment. All programs are designed for parents to participate and engage with their child during the program as well as continue the interactions and brain development at home. Public libraries can nurture pre-reading skills and a love of reading, so that when children arrive at formal schooling they have the tools and the motivation to engage in learning and reading, Creps said.
The four common storytimes that are available are: babytime, toddler time, preschool storytime, and family storytime. Each program is geared towards the age range for that specific group’s learning comprehensive level. This keeps participants engaged and involved in what is being presented thus bringing entertainment and learning together in a cohesive manner, she continued.
Detailed information regarding each type of storytime can be found on the library’s website, at www.library.pima.gov. There is no charge for the programs.
Monica Creps began her love of libraries in 1992 at the McMinnville Public Library in Oregon as circulation clerk. She moved to Alaska in 2001 where she worked at the Chugiak-Eagle River Library, a branch of the Anchorage Public library, as a Librarian Associate. When she moved to Arizona she started as a page and moved up at the Southwest Branch to a Library Associate for Children’s Services. She has worked at 20 of the 27 Pima County Public Library branches holding various titles. She obtained her Masters in Library Science from the University of Arizona in 2014. Her youngest daughter attends school in the Vail School District. In her spare time Monica likes hanging out with her thirty-four chickens, six ducks, two dogs and two cats.
Mary McKinney is the Gibson-Esmond Station Library managing librarian. The library is located at 10931 East Mary Ann Cleveland Way, Tucson, Arizona 85747.
Whittley “Anne” Gibson is a third generation Tucsonan and alumni of the University of Arizona. She has been an active community member in the greater Vail area since the late 1970s.
