—Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Adri Sietstra Pascale Bruns is pictured above in the teen fiction section at Kendall Young Library. Bruns began her duties as teen librarian at Kendall Young Library on Oct. 4.

Patrons who visit Kendall Young Library will notice a new face as they pass by the reference desk. Pascale Bruns officially began her duties as teen librarian on Oct. 4. She will be working with teens and other community members who frequent the library. She will also be working at the reference desk part time.

Bruns has always been passionate about helping youth.

“I think it’s important to have programs for teens at libraries because they’re at the age where they can choose if they want to come or not,” said Bruns. “I think it’s important to make teens want to come to the library because libraries can help everyone.”

Bruns, 25, saw the job opening for teen librarian and applied almost immediately.

“I saw this job posting while I was at boot camp for grad school and thought I had to apply for it,” said Bruns. “I applied the very day it was posted.”

Before taking over as teen librarian at Kendall Young Library, Bruns was director at the Benny Gambaiani Public Library in Shell Rock. She worked there for almost three years.

“It’s a small-town library, so it was pretty fun to learn the job of director in that space,” Bruns said. “It was a good place to learn.”

Bruns received a degree in English from Wartburg College in 2014. She is currently working towards a graduate degree in Library Science online through the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“If I take classes in the summer, I should be done with this degree in three years,” said Bruns. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

In the short time that Bruns has been working at Kendall Young, she has been getting acquainted with the library and its history.

“I’ve mainly been working so far at the reference desk. I’ll be there most days. Then I’ll be in charge of planning the teen programs,” Bruns said. “I’m excited to learn what the teens all like here and things they like to do.”

“With the teens I think it’s important for them to have a safe place to hang out and do homework,” said Bruns. “I’m also excited to share my love of literature and learning because I think it is important.”

Bruns is excited to implement new programs at the library as well as build off of events and activities put in place by former teen librarian, Lindsay Anderson.

Bruns noted she has a lot to learn when it comes to Kendall Young’s extensive reference collection, but is up for the challenge.

“Libraries are important to the community in general,” Bruns said. “Teens are our future so it’s nice to have a place where they can learn and grow and just be themselves.”