The Bainbridge Library welcomes a new young people’s librarian.

Carmine Rau really knows how to string people along.

When she tires of doing that, she becomes quite a cut-up, much to the delight of her young audiences.

As the island’s new youth services librarian, Rau has an arsenal of creative tricks at the ready – including string figures, hand puppets, a flannel board for felt animal figures she makes and a French accent – all designed to make book-lovers out of her visitors, from the babies to the sixth-graders.

“Public libraries are where my heart is,” Rau said. “I feel like my whole life has been a preparation for this.”

Sharon Snyder, who served as young people’s librarian for two years, now is the library’s assistant branch manager.

It’s hard to believe Rau has been on the job less than a month. She moves confidently through the downstairs youth section, answering a question here, directing a person there, smiling and taking in the activity around her.

Her happy disposition and warm manner endear her to adults and their charges, some of whom already follow her about.

“We are very excited about working with Carmine and know that she will be a wonderful addition to the library staff,” said Cindy Harrison, branch manager.

In her application letter, Rau wrote: “I strongly believe in the importance of encouraging a love of reading, providing a safe environment where children and parents feel welcome…”

Most importantly, Harrison noted, “She has ‘an unflagging passion for helping people.'”

This passion was kindled when Rau was a child growing up 20 miles west of Centralia.

While in the second grade, she wanted to be “a big kid library helper.” At age 15 she began working as a library page and continued this through high school. Then came The Evergreen State College – “I’m a Greener,” she says – and a year in France, where she taught fourth- and fifth-graders and honed her fluency skills.

Rau’s two years of teaching for AmeriCorps earned her a stipend to offset college costs. She was a tutor with the Washington Reads program the first year and involved with a Centralia outreach program for elementary-age children in childcare and after-school care the next year.

“I did story time and crafts programs all day long,” Rau said. “My goal was to encourage women running in-home daycare to incorporate libraries into their houses.”

It was a rural area, and there was great variety in the care offered, from adults using the television as a babysitter to setting up a math room for their charges.

“It was a fabulous experience,” Rau said. “I met lots of people.”

Number fear

The work led Rau to a stint as an assistant in the Eugene Public Library, handling circulation reference and story time duties. People kept asking her when she was going to go to “library school.”

What stood in the way was math phobia.

To get into graduate school, Rau had to pass the Graduate Records Examinations, which includes a math portion.

Rau finally decided to face her fear, telling herself that doing really well on the verbal part would offset the lower math score she was sure to get. She listened to Buddhist chants while studying for the exam.

To her surprise, she passed the GRE and gained admission to the University of Washington library program, working in reference and instruction.

When her contract was about to run out, she knew she wanted to get back to a public library.

Interacting with youngsters on a daily basis calls for special skills, such as the ability to be firm, yet fun. Rau’s approach is to explain her expectations and their options.

On the job, Rau wears a variety of hats, from ordering all the juvenile fiction books for the Kitsap Library System to hosting four story sessions a week in five- and six-week series. She has many creative ways to hold the interest of small ears and is always looking for more.

She checks plush puppets out of the library system’s vast collection – the bear and the chicken are especially winsome – and cuts colorful animals from felt to use on her big flannel board.

And, yes, she wears her pajamas for those special reading get-togethers.

To learn the lay of the land, Rau is introducing herself to elementary schools and has visits lined up for tours and library skills sessions. She also has plans to hold storytime sessions at daycares.

“I love people who ask me homework questions or need help with school projects,” she said. “I tell them I won’t do their work for them, but I’ll show them resources.”

At the top of Rau’s immediate agenda is successfully making it through the library’s summer reading program, which begins June 17.

“I want the most readers and the most people finishing their reading program,” said Rau, who will visit schools to talk about the program this month.

Rau thoroughly delights in interacting with children, especially during story-telling time.

“They like to discuss books within the context of their lives,” she said. “If I’m reading about a boy getting dressed, someone will say, ‘I have new shoes.’”

The conversation takes off from there, with other children chiming in, and Rau skillfully weaves it back to the story at hand.

“I really like dealing with the public,” Rau said. “I’m lucky (to have this opportunity.) I grew up here and I love the Northwest.

“My number one goal is to get to know families and teachers in the community and on the island,” Rau said. “Then you get ideas. There is a strong attendance for programs here. This community really uses the library.”