A Librarian in the Making

The other day I was working the front desk at my library. A very young girl was clickety-clacking on one of the OPACs. Her mother approached her and advised her to “stop playing with the computer.” The little girl answered, “But Mommy, I’m doing research!”

I was amazed that the child knew the word “research” and thought perhaps she must be older than she looked. When the mother approached my desk to check out her selections, I asked her how about the age of her daughter. (The daughter, meanwhile, had wandered off to a nearby public access computer and was again tapping on the keyboard.) It turns out that this kid was only five years old! When Mom advised the computer-loving child that it was time to leave, the girl again said, “But I’m researching! I’m researching penguins!” Sure enough, this kid had managed to find a penguin on the computer screen! Mom was impressed, as was I.

As the mother and daughter headed out the door, I heard the child say, “Sometimes you’ve gotta do some research.” I smiled. Surely THIS was a librarian in the making!