Newsmaker
Monday, October 20, 1997
Name: Denise Jacobson
Occupation: Children's librarian, Kailua-Kona Library
Hobbies: Reading, listening to morning news on KHPR
Denise Jacobson still recalls her excitement and anticipation as a child waiting for the next issue of "Jack and Jill" to arrive in the mail. Stoking the desire to read
At 4 years old, she would pore over the children's magazine and circle the words she recognized. She read the backs of cereal boxes and "anything in print," she said.
Her love affair with reading continues today in her work as the first children's librarian at the Kailua-Kona Library, which opened in February 1992. Her creativity, professionalism and commitment to literacy caught the attention of the Hawaii Library Foundation, which named Jacobson its inaugural Librarian of the Year for 1997.
Getting kids and adults to read is her mission. Her vision: to get every family in Hawaii reading together for at least 10 minutes each day. "Just imagine if everyone read everyday, I think the quality of life would improve," Jacobson said.
Reading establishes bonds between parent and child and feeds the child's self-esteem, she said.
She once gave a presentation to teen parents on child development and the importance of reading aloud to children. One gal wrote back thanking Jacobson, saying she has begun reading to her daughter more.
Jacobson said her colleagues are one reason why she enjoys her job so much. "It's because we work as a team and support each other that I'm able to do more," she said.
She invites people and groups in the community to share their skills and interests to draw kids and adults into the library. She'll invite someone from the Kennel Club to talk about dog obedience or how to choose the right pet. For Deaf Awareness Week, she'll invite performers who will sing and do sign language. Preschool story hours are usually a hit for the younger kids.
Arts and crafts activities she plans throughout the year draw children like moths to the library. She had children making stars in a jar, sun catchers, kites and all kinds of flying objects as part of the summer reading program.
"I felt like, no matter how many times I went in there, I always felt like she was glad to see me," said Lisa Orvis, teaching assistant and mother of two boys who visits the library at least every other week. "The kids feel welcome there, I feel welcome there."
Jacobson is a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out obscure books, Orvis said. "I've gone with a shred of info -- cute, rhyming and turnip -- and she invariably goes, 'Oh, I know that one,' and she finds it."
Debra Barayuga, Star-Bulletin
