2010.11.23: November 23, 2010: After serving two years in Malawi with the Peace Corps, Jolene Bradley discovered the power of books - and it changed her life
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2010.11.23: November 23, 2010: After serving two years in Malawi with the Peace Corps, Jolene Bradley discovered the power of books - and it changed her life
After serving two years in Malawi with the Peace Corps, Jolene Bradley discovered the power of books - and it changed her life
Bradley received her bachelor's degree at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and then decided she wanted to travel and see the world. She spent two years serving in the Peace Corps. She was sent to a school in Malawi where she worked as the school librarian and science teacher. Most classes in the school had over 100 students per class, though she usually had about 60 students in her science courses. As the school librarian, she discovered the power of books. She spent a lot of time getting grants and donations to build up the library. While she was there, she was able to create the school's first fiction section. She was proud of herself when she would find children sitting outside, reading fictional books for fun, for the first time. "To them, a book was a very big deal," said Bradley. "They could never afford it."
After serving two years in Malawi with the Peace Corps, Jolene Bradley discovered the power of books - and it changed her life
The power of books
New librarian hopes to make Brainerd Public Library a dynamic place to visit
Posted: Tuesday, November 23, 2010
JODIE TWEED
Staff Writer
Jolene Bradley thought she'd become a veterinarian after graduating from college with her bachelor's degree in biology.
But after serving two years in Malawi with the Peace Corps, Bradley discovered the power of books - and it changed her life.
Bradley started her new job as manager of the Brainerd Public Library on Oct. 18. She previously worked for several years within the Northwest Regional Library System, including as branch manager of the library in her hometown of Red Lake Falls. She most recently served as manager of public services for the library system before she was hired in Brainerd. She earned her master's degree in library and information science through the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
Bradley and her husband, Jason, a schoolteacher, have a son, Connor, who will turn 1 on Dec. 3. The Bradleys met - where else? - at the library. They've been married for the past three years.
Jolene Bradley, the new Brainerd Public Library manager, said she has a few changes in store for patrons at the library.
Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
She has a few changes in store for patrons of the Brainerd library. The library is in the process of hiring a youth librarian, who will likely be on board by the start of the new year. Bradley said the hope is that there will be new and improved programming for young children to teens.
"I want to make sure we reach out to those young readers," said Bradley. "So we'll have a bright new year ahead of us."
Bradley said she and library staff are attempting to make the library a more dynamic place to be. Soon the entire wall across from the checkout counter will be filled with shelves of the library's newest books, to make it easier for patrons to see what books the library just got in.
"It's one of my favorite parts of my job, to see the new books come in," said Bradley. "It's like Christmas."
Bradley said the library will soon have a suggestion box out front for people to leave ideas for changes at the library. She hopes library visitors will take time to offer suggestions for improvements.
"Like at a business, you want to see something new," Bradley explained. "I think we can make the overall atmosphere glow and shine a bit more. I really need to get to know what the community wants first."
Bradley said she will look into getting grants in order to digitize the library's microfilm records, as well as its city directories and decades of high school yearbooks, which she said are starting to crumble.
"We need to make sure they're preserved for the future," she explained.
She said the library next year may be offering online subscriptions to audio e-books, which would allow patrons to "check out" an audio book online that would be downloaded to their computer. After three weeks, the books wouldn't be available anymore on the patron's computer, a way that the e-books would be digitally returned and available to be checked out again.
Bradley received her bachelor's degree at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and then decided she wanted to travel and see the world. She spent two years serving in the Peace Corps. She was sent to a school in Malawi where she worked as the school librarian and science teacher. Most classes in the school had over 100 students per class, though she usually had about 60 students in her science courses.
As the school librarian, she discovered the power of books. She spent a lot of time getting grants and donations to build up the library. While she was there, she was able to create the school's first fiction section. She was proud of herself when she would find children sitting outside, reading fictional books for fun, for the first time.
"To them, a book was a very big deal," said Bradley. "They could never afford it."
When she returned home, she spent two years as an AmeriCorps Vista volunteer leader in North Dakota.
While Bradley loves to read, lately she's been consumed with reading books on raising 1-year-olds and board books to her young son. She said she reads a lot of book reviews, to see what types of books the library should order, but joked that she never knows how the book ends because the reviews don't have spoilers. She enjoys reading books by many authors, including Barbara Kingsolver, but she said it's hard to pick a favorite author or book.
"How do you pick your favorite," Bradley asked with a smile. "It's like, how do you pick your favorite child? They all bring a different aspect to your life. It's hard to experience it any other way."
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: November, 2010; Peace Corps Malawi; Directory of Malawi RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Malawi RPCVs; Libraries; Minnesota
When this story was posted in February 2011, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| How Volunteers Remember Sarge As the Peace Corps' Founding Director Sargent Shriver laid the foundations for the most lasting accomplishment of the Kennedy presidency. Shriver spoke to returned volunteers at the Peace Vigil at Lincoln Memorial in September, 2001 for the Peace Corps 40th. "The challenge I believe is simple - simple to express but difficult to fulfill. That challenge is expressed in these words: PCV's - stay as you are. Be servants of peace. Work at home as you have worked abroad. Humbly, persistently, intelligently. Weep with those who are sorrowful, Care for those who are sick. Serve your wives, serve your husbands, serve your families, serve your neighbors, serve your cities, serve the poor, join others who also serve," said Shriver. "Serve, Serve, Serve. That's the answer, that's the objective, that's the challenge." |
| Support Independent Funding for the Third Goal The Peace Corps has always neglected the third goal, allocating less than 1% of their resources to "bringing the world back home." Senator Dodd addressed this issue in the "Peace Corps for the 21st Century" bill passed by the US Senate and Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter proposed a "Peace Corps Foundation" at no cost to the US government. Both are good approaches but the recent "Comprehensive Assessment Report" didn't address the issue of independent funding for the third goal at all. |
| Memo to Incoming Director Williams PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams |
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Story Source: Brainerd Dispatch
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Malawi; Libraries
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