Teens making library thrive

“I couldn’t do it without them,” Wantagh children’s librarian Susan Finck said of the 75 teenage volunteers who are assisting with this year’s summer reading program.

The Very Important Volunteers program has been in existence for about a decade, and is the backbone of the Wantagh Public Library’s popular summer reading club. More than 500 children have signed up to participate this year, and that means a constant stream of kids in and out of the library.

The VIVs have a variety of tasks. They sign children up for the reading program, check their reading logs, give out prizes and assist at the numerous activities, such as story times and special events. More than a dozen volunteers will help out at the end-of-summer bowling party at Wantagh Lanes in August.

Each volunteer is at the library a few hours each week. Finck said that over the course of the summer, the teens will accumulate more than 500 hours of service. Volunteers are middle school and high school age. Many do it for community service hours needed for Honor Society or confirmation, while others follow in the footsteps of an older sibling.

Seeing her sister volunteer is why 15-year-old Jessica Belcic decided to sign up three years ago. “I like going to the library,” said Jessica, a junior at Wantagh High School. “I like helping out the community.”

She said she is at the library two or three days a week, and enjoys seeing the children smile when they get their prizes for meeting certain reading milestones.

J.P Moran, 16, and his brother, Thomas, 14, are both volunteers this summer. This is J.P.’s second year helping out with the program. He described the Wantagh Library as the center of the community.

“I go here frequently,” he said. “I felt like I needed to give back to the library.”

J.P. describes himself as an avid reader who enjoys different types of books. He said he hopes that his involvement in the program will inspire younger children. “The real point of this program is to help the next generation get an interest in reading,” he said. “”It really puts the images in kids’ minds that reading is fun, reading is important.”

Brianna Legovich, 15, shared a similar sentiment. “I like reading over the summer,” she said. “Getting them to start reading at a young age will allow them to continue it into the future.”

Brianna, who is entering her sophomore year at Wantagh High School, said she found out about the volunteer program from a friend. This is her first year.

Matthew and Brandon Schroh are the oldest of four brothers. Their two younger siblings, who attend Forest Lake Elementary School, are active in the summer reading program, so Matthew and Brandon decided to become volunteers.

“It seemed like a good thing to do over the summer,” said Matthew, 16, who has handed his younger brothers their prizes on several occasions.

The volunteer program is coordinated by Finck and young-adult librarian Jennifer McHugh, who set the schedules. Finck said the volunteers are expected to be punctual, focused and enthusiastic. “When they’re here I tell them that they represent the library,” Finck said.

She explained that the experienced volunteers often take the newer ones under their wings.

This year’s summer reading theme at libraries across the country is “Every Hero Has a Story.” Children are asked to read at least 15 minutes each day, which Finck said is consistent with what the schools encourage.

Brandon Schroh, 14, who will be a freshman at Wantagh High School, is volunteering for the second year. He said that the best part about the job is helping kids keep up with their academics while they’re out of school. “I enjoy seeing children who read during the summer,” he said. “They’re spending their summer doing something productive.”