Behind the stacks

Welcome back to Behind the Stacks. As always, we have a range of events coming up for everyone. The Ora Mason Library is starting its new bi-weekly storytime Storytime con Amigos on Friday, November 7th and 21st! This storytime includes stories, songs, and movement in English and Spanish for children aged 2-5 and their caregivers. Whether you’re learning Spanish, speak it at home, or just love a good storytime, everyone is welcome! 

Dinovember is nearly upon us! For the month of November, we have a variety of dinosaur themed events taking place, including a T-Rex Hunt at the Main Library and a Dino Egg Hunt at Ora Mason. Find all the required dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs and be entered into a raffle for a prize!

There will also be a T-Rex Tea party Story time on Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Main Library, and a hands-on Dinos 2 U event hosted by the Jurassic Classroom on Nov. 24 at the Ora Mason Library. Finally, all ages are welcome to join us for a screening of Jurassic World: Rebirth on November 22nd at 12:00 pm. 

For the teens, we have a young adult author talk on November 17th with local author Kyla LoPresti! Kyla will be talking about her YA series Flashback, the four books in her series, and how she started writing. Afterwards, participants will get to make DIY bookmarks with Darcee LoPresti of Picasso Parties.

Our first CPR/AED class will be taking place on Monday, Nov. 24 at 2:30 p.m. at the Main Library. This class will provide bystander training in performing CPR, how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), and how to use Narcan in the event of an overdose. This class will be taught by an EMT and staff from Yale New Haven Health and Yale New Haven Hospital. We will also be having this class on Dec. 17 and Feb. 24 at the Main Library, and Jan. 15 and March 30 at the Ora Mason Library. Registration is required for all of these classes, so be sure to register online through our website or over the phone at (203) 937-4233.

Finally, with the weather getting colder and the November holidays creeping up on us, the library is looking to do our part to help our community members in need. We will be collecting non-perishable food donations for WHEAT starting on Nov. 3 and ending on Nov. 10. All donated food items will go to WHEAT and will be available to residents in time for the holidays. We are accepting any non-perishable items including mac & cheese, pasta, rice, beans, peanut butter, jelly, and pop-top canned items such as soup, broth, tuna, veggies, and fruit. Anyone interested in donating food items can bring them to the front desk of either the Main Library on 300 Elm Street or the Ora Mason Library, 260 Benham Hill Road. 

A new thing we want to do in our column is introduce our staff to you! Whether you’re a regular here or you’re coming in for the first time, our friendly staff at the desks do a lot for our patrons and also have some pretty cool lives and interests outside of the library! For this first week, we’re going to interview one of our most tenured staff: Dani Valesquez.

Dani curates our DVD collection and assembles our themed Binge Boxes. She also orders all Interlibrary Loan items from outside libraries, hosts the monthly Movie Matinee program, and makes sure the collection is up to date with the NY Times Bestsellers list. 

How did you get into library work? “It was, in a way,  by accident. I wasn’t getting anywhere with my English degree and since my cousin was going back to school, I figured I would go back as well. That’s when I noticed that Library Science was available as a major and I thought that it would pair well with my BA in English. While going to school, I worked for six months at the Vincent Library, which is part of Saint Thomas More in New Haven. I was also a student worker in the Circulation Department at the Buley Library for my last semester at Southern Connecticut State University.”

What is your favorite thing about working in libraries? “I enjoy helping a diverse community. I previously worked for Namco Pool & Patio for nine years, and I am able to use this retail experience to help people every day, whether it be finding a book, DVD, or CD for them or assisting them with the copy machine.”

What is the best moment in your career or life? “For my career, the best moments were being hired as a part-time Library Assistant at the Louis Piantino branch of WHPL, and then becoming a full-time Library Assistant at the Main branch of WHPL. Most recently, I am proud to have reached my 15 year anniversary of working for the West Haven Public Library. In my personal life, my best moments were getting my BS in Library Science in 2010, and traveling to and exploring South Korea and New York. Of course, any time I spend hanging out with family and friends is also very important to me.”

Do you have any pets? “I have my 18 year old Chihuahua, Niko. I’ve had her since she was only two months old. She is black and white.”

Do you have any hobbies? “I enjoy traveling, camping, going to the movie theatre, and going to concerts in my free time.”

What is a fun or unusual fact about yourself? “Over the course of the past year, I have attended 14 K-Pop concerts, including groups like Blackpink, ATEEZ, Stray Kids, NCT127, Kiss of Life, and STAYC.”

What are your favorite TV shows or movies? “My favorite TV shows are Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rizzoli and Isles, Wednesday, Ted Lasso, Heartstopper, and Bridgerton. The last TV shows that I binge watched were High Potential and Tracker. My favorite movies are the Goonies, Bram Stocker’s Dracula, the Addams Family, The Mummy, Kpop Demon Hunters, the James Bond films, and the Indiana Jones films.”

What is your favorite place to travel? “One of my favorite places to visit is Seoul, South Korea. I have visited there three times so far, and I plan to go back soon. I also want to visit Japan, Thailand, England, Scotland, and Ireland.”

What is your favorite thing to cook or eat? “I’m a big foodie. One of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes is Arroz con Calamares (rice with squid) and my favorite Korean dishes are Japchae (stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables) and Dongaseu (pork cutlet). 

What is your favorite quote? “My favorite quote is by Vincent Van Gogh: Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”