There have been a number of enhancements made at East County Regional Library this year, which revolve around its new motto, “the sun shines a little brighter at East County.”

Regional Branch Manager Samantha Wallace said she began at East County Regional Library in March of this year.

“When I completed library school, I went right into academics and all my peers went into the public library setting. After 18 years of academic setting, I thought it was time for a career change,” she explained. “I’m loving it. I am a people person. I believe that when you walk into public service, that is what you are doing, serving the public. I get the joy, pleasure and spiritual uplift of helping people in general.”

Wallace’s managing style is including her whole team into the decision making.

“I try to get them to see how I don’t use that pyramid to lead by. I like to put it upside down, so I am supporting the people out there making it happen. I formed our leadership team. I invited several people to serve on that so every department has a voice. This is a shared type of setting where I may wear this hat, but this hat is a puzzle that was put together and sits on top of my head,” she said. “Everybody plays a valuable part in that leadership team.”

With a background in the academic arena, Wallace said she wanted everything to be accessible and user-friendly.

“‘Robust’ is our go-to word around here. The collection is vibrant and jumps out at the patrons and says ‘hey here I am, pick me,'” she said. “I try to make sure we organize the library, so the patrons walk into this brand new shopping center and they want to see every area.”

The idea is to make the library as inviting as they can, so they have to beg the patrons to leave at the end of the night.

Since arriving at the library, Wallace has reached out to the community.

“After being here for two months and knowing that we are so close in proximity to a high school and middle school, I was not seeing a lot of that connection between the local schools and public library,” she explained.

Wallace viewed the two schools as neighbors. Just like a neighbor who needs a cup of sugar, or stick of butter, a neighbor is always happy to give a lending hand.

“I want that type of environment for the public setting and school setting. We have redefined what that has looked like,” she said.

The neighborly connection began by reaching out to the school administrators.

Another positive change was changing the mentality that the adults could use the library in the morning before a transition took shape at 1:45 p.m. when the students entered the library.

“I said why are we transitioning? We should all be here in harmony,” Wallace said, adding that a 99-year-old should feel good about being at the library at the same time as a 9-year-old. “I wanted to make sure my team and I developed that atmosphere. You come here at any hour of the day and feel great about being here.”

That mentality has paid off.

Programming was another aspect of the library Wallace looked into after starting. She said the library has always offered programs, but the approach now is more holistic.

For example, entertainment-type programs do not always have to be something fun, but rather something academically inclined and fun.

“We try to offer programs that will make that connectivity with the patrons and people we serve with the community,” Wallace said. “We don’t have a major movie theater here, or some type of place kids and families can go. If they only have the library, then the library needs to provide opportunities for family and individual activities. Our go to word is robust, so our programs need to be robust, attractive and high demand.”

Angela Hall, head of youth services, began working at East County Regional Library in June after working 24 years in the profession. She started out in a public library in a large urban city, which she did not feel it was for her at the time. From there, Hall transitioned back into academic library, where she became a librarian for 10 years in school librarianship.

Those years is when she developed a love for working with teenagers.

“They are fun. They are energetic. They are curious. They want to learn and build relationships,” Hall said.

She admitted that she did not know if she wanted to work in a public library until she saw the position, which offered working with the same population of kids and an opportunity for leadership. So far, it has been a really positive experience, especially working with Wallace.

“She is a great manager and mentor,” Hall said.

There are three words that come to mind – empowering, robust and opportunity.

“I love the community. It’s a very similar demographic that I served in Texas,” she said, adding that she loves when the library is busy. “It drives my energy. The busier it is the better it is for me.”

Since Hall began working at the library she said they have seen an increase in the number of people walking through the doors. That increase has not only been for kids, but their dads coming to the library as well.

Some of the improvements include having a Lego table, as well as computers with programs designed for kids. Another enhancement is creating a space for babies to children 10 years old, as well bringing the tweens, 10 to 14 year olds, back into the library.

“On Saturdays I see them in here. They have their Chrome books, doing their school work. I am glad they are here. They see it as a place that they want to be,” Hall said.

The youth programming offered is incorporating an entrepreneurial component. She said it is important to show youths that they can take a craft, skill and turn in into a business for themselves. Hall said they want their programs to show children and young people that there are ways to make money, take what they are good at and make it profitable.

Wallace said the kids have ideas, dreams and goals that they think are beyond their reach.

“If we bring the right people in it will open up the opportunities for them to see that I can do this and believe in themselves,” which increases their self-worth, self-value, allowing them to soar to the sun. “The sun shines a little brighter at East County. We know how powerful the sun is. The sun is life and that is what we want our kids to know, that life inside of them they have to open up and grow.”

Wallace said they want the community to know that the library is an extension to whatever resources they have at home, or at school, as well as resources they may not have available to them.

“We have connections to get things and make things happen for them,” she said.