Eldering, who specializes in engaging the community, has often found himself advocating for the library’s free, public resources in surrounding elementary schools. With dwindling attendance from older library attendees, Eldering actively works to expand the free programs offered, as well as facilitate the daily events. From Monday crocheting and Tuesday volleyball with Impact, to more cultivated seasonal festivals with giveaways and free meals, McPherson Square Library and their Friends group continue to encourage the local youth to utilize the third spaces available to them.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
In general, have you noticed a change in the amount of kids attending the library events?
I think that’s hard for me to answer because I’ve only been here a little less than a year. I will say it feels seasonal. During the summer, we’ll have a lot of kids. Maybe the first couple weeks of summer we don’t, and kids start finding out so they can come back and. The first couple weeks of school, it was kind of quiet, and now we’re slowly picking up again.
I haven’t been here long enough to say if we have more kids than last year. A lot of the kids who do come, their parents are very involved with Impact. They also hire community connectors, which are usually moms–they don’t have to be moms–but 90 percent of them are moms. So that helps bring in a lot of the kids because the moms are helping organize the event. Our afterschool program involves moms as the lunch ladies who give out the lunches and they tend to bring their kids, who bring their friends.
Have you noticed any difficulties in accessing the community, such as getting information out?
One of the biggest difficulties is people not knowing we’re open, or that we are a library. People see the building–I visit schools a lot at after school nights and literacy nights and try to talk to the parents and they’re like, “Oh, we didn’t even know that that library has been open since COVID!” And I’m like, “No, we’re here…”
And then also having families or kids feel comfortable coming to the park. A lot of people hang out in the park during the day, and that definitely makes some families not feel super safe coming, but we also work with other organizations to make sure there’s no needles in the park. People know by now to not hang out behind the library inside the little park inside the park. So people who may be struggling or on the streets know that that’s where we do activities for the kids, and that’s part of Impact also activating the park. That’s why they play volleyball, so people see that we’re a family-friendly place. But usually once I can convince someone to come around on that side, they meet me and they know somebody from the library, they’re more likely to bring their kids there.
Do you have any programs that serve marginalized communities?
We have a few. I will admit that we always talk about doing more programming. We maybe don’t have the right connections to other organizations or we’re so linked in with kids. We do have a social worker who comes twice a month. We have CareerLink in which jobs within the city come. This month we’re hosting a whole career exploration workshop to help people find careers, write resumes, know where to look, build skills, and know about all the resources the city and library offers.
Other than that, both of our adult activities come a lot with using the computers and having someone available to help, whether that’s print something or helping people access their emails. We have talked about visiting retirement residencies that are in the neighborhood, but I do think that’s something we could develop a little more.
What is the importance of having free, public, and local resources for the community?
Having places where kids can meet other kids and families–it is extremely helpful for the parents to meet other parents–and to meet anyone outside of home and school. Otherwise we tend to be a lot more segregated. People, especially in this neighborhood, don’t have the lawn that they’re playing on or tend to not leave their house for anything other than work or school–so I think somewhere that’s open a little later and that they can meet each other is really fun. I’ve definitely seen kids who are in different grades and go to a different school and are like, “Oh wait, you go to the same school?” And they’re able to make friendships. I think it’s extremely important.
Also, I think people assume that everyone has computers and access to computers and printing at home which is just not true at all. If you’re trying to do anything nowadays, it’s pretty much always on your computer, so having a resource that is just free and accessible is very important. We’re social creatures–even people come, and they’re studying in a corner, and doing their thing–it’s important to be around other people and be in a different environment where you know that if you need help, there are other people around you.
What is the importance of having resources available to educate the youth?
I think that education is extremely needed. We all need to know how to read and do math. Kids having other adults in their lives that aren’t just their parents is also extremely valuable and I think sometimes people overlook whether or not they’re looking out for you or asking for opinions or help with something.
I’ve had teens who have questions that they do not feel comfortable asking their parents, or whoever their caregiver is. So just having that resource of another adult that people can talk to, as well as someone else to look up to in other ways of being is important, and making sure kids aren’t falling behind in school. That will stack up–I’ve had kids not understand classes and they’re like, “well we’re moving on to this,” and I’m like well, you’re not moving on from the rest of your life and having these very important life skills.
During your time at the library, have you experienced any difference in funding?
We’re very fortunate that our Friends group is so active because we do have a lot of grant money, as well as raised grassroots money. But that’s only because they’re so active in applying for grants. We do have a good amount of access to money if we need to, for example, like the fall fest. So I haven’t, but I also, like I said, haven’t been here very long.
Is more of the McPherson Square Library’s funding from the city or the Friends group?
I don’t really handle the funding a lot–I feel like that’s a librarian question. I do know that there’s pockets of money that are used, for example, like Brazilian drumming or for certain activities that we have at the library. And then there is a pocket of money that we use more for the big festivals that isn’t library funding, I don’t believe. Impact has their own funding, and they’re the ones who are funding volleyball. The free after school lunches come from the city. I know there’s different pockets and I don’t know exactly what comes out of what.
How do you think schools, as a public system, and libraries work together to interact with the community’s youth?
The first thing I thought of was how connected they are and how important that relationship is. I know at least everyone’s principal, if not who their teachers are, which I think is very valuable so I know what’s going on with the kids’ schools or other activities they have. I can show up to the school–and I’ve shown up and done career day and all these different activities and nights–and I think this is very helpful when all the adults know the other adults in kids’ lives.
They play such important roles, like having teachers be aware of the resources, so if a teacher can’t offer one-on-one help after school to every kid… Knowing that there’s a second place where they can send the kids for help, or also just knowing about the resources… I’ve visited high schools, and the teacher is very big on having the kids read whatever they want, and me coming in and being like, “well, you get whatever you want for free,” and all these online resources. I had all the kids get library cards and download the apps to their phones. It’s also important for the teachers to know what resources they have accessible.
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