Public libraries have a special place in Becky Martinazzi’s heart.

“They’re one of the best spaces offered to people of every age, income level, location, ethnicity or physical ability,” said Martinazzi, 33, of Ebensburg, who recently was introduced as the new youth services coordinator at Murrysville Community Library. “I specialized in children’s services during my graduate studies, and I spent about a decade serving in the Pennsylvania public library sphere with six years in youth services.”

In Murrysville, Martinazzi has some sizable shoes to fill — those of Carol Siefken, who served as youth services coordinator for 33 years and retired last fall.

Martinazzi spoke with the Tribune-Review about her experience and goals for children’s programming at the Murrysville library. This interview has been edited for length.

Question: You’re coming into this position at kind of an odd time for library employees, with pandemic restrictions having eased a bit, but certainly not gone away. What is the biggest challenge in trying to create compelling programming with all of these guidelines in place?

Answer: I think it’s getting parents and children back to being comfortable in what we took for granted: regular social interactions with others. It’s been interesting meeting babies, toddlers and even preschoolers who have only really ever known a world where they can’t see the smile on someone else’s face because it is covered by a mask, or where they are ironically discouraged from sitting close by and physically interacting with other children.

I understand that safety is still a top concern among parents of children who cannot yet be vaccinated, and I want to keep that concern in mind as the library eases its way back to offering more in-person events and opportunities for interactions.

Q: One of the things Carol Siefken said she was excited to leave for the new children’s librarian is her storage room filled with a massive amount of costumes, games and activity ideas — have you had a chance to make your way through some of that, and has it been helpful in developing programming?

A: Yes, I was amazed at not just the metaphorical legacy but the physical legacy that Carol has left behind! In many ways, Carol has made this position easy to continue with what she has established as far as youth services at the library. Her creativity and ingenuity definitely shines through in the resources that she left, and I hope to recycle many of those original tools she developed and add my own personalized touch as I am seeing new generations of children and families come in to use the library.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in this new position?

A: I am excited that we’ve been able to continue the library’s traditional Summer Reading Program, embracing and encouraging new formats, like the outdoor activities we’ve been hosting, along with a new software called Beanstack that helps us coordinate online tracking of both children’s and adults’ reading progress throughout the summer. I am also excited to head into the fall and focus on early literacy programming for families with young children who might have been removed from those types of opportunities last year when the pandemic was in its more severe stages.

Q: What are your long-term goals for children’s services at the library?

A: I want to make sure the library has something to offer children through all stages of their life, from infants through young adults. I think this will look different in terms of the types of services being offered and whether it’s done on a small or large scale, but I think it can be done. I truly believe that libraries are more than just books; they are, most importantly, about bringing people together, helping them discover new avenues for learning about diverse people, places and things.

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