Ciara Kehoe

Enthusiastic Teen Services Librarian with five years of experience in developing dynamic programming and fostering community engagement for teens. Proven ability to enhance library visibility and literacy through innovative programming and strategic partnerships. Successfully delivered tailored information literacy instruction to high school students while creating inclusive environments that promote mental health awareness.

Eager to bring a passion for teen services and community connection to contribute to the growth and success of future library initiatives.

Youth Services Librarian with Teen Focus - Pueblo City-County Library District - Pueblo, CO

(2020-04 - 2025-07)

• Spearheaded the development and implementation of monthly teen programming across seven library branches, enhancing community engagement through fun and educational activities
• Managed the teen collection and curated timely, rotating displays, increasing collection visibility while promoting diverse books that reflect the community
• Established the Teen Advisory Board by fostering relationships with teens at the home library, empowering them to have a more substantive voice
• Delivered comprehensive information literacy instruction in research and database usage to high school students in Pueblo
• Participated in teacher professional development days to educate staff about ConnectEd, a program providing all public school students access to library resources via their student IDs, while offering assistance in transferring this knowledge to their students
• Collaborated with the library's Community Relations team to effectively market programs
• Coordinated with a dedicated group of community partners to execute "Youth Kickback," a monthly event focused on mental health and suicide prevention for teens in Pueblo
• Teamed with the Youth Services Department to prepare the annual Summer Reading Program. Reimagined teen/tween "game boards" and developed grand prizes to incentivize participation. Appeared as Bluey and Pete the Cat for storytimes, demonstrating a willingness to embrace silliness, and at times delivered storytimes and managed tween programs
• Partnered with the Boys & Girls Club to facilitate a reading group featuring Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam's Punching the Air
• Maintained current knowledge of literature, media available for teens, library trends, and trends in teen culture through the review of publications and blogs, as well as engaging directly with teens
• Staffed public service desk (adult, teen, and children's), providing assistance to patrons in need of information, computer support, de-escalation, and more
• Coordinated the teen volunteer program

Library Assistant - William Jeanes Memorial Library - Lafayette Hill, PA

(2019-03 - 2020-02)

• Provided readers' advisory services to children, driven by my enthusiasm as the only assistant excited to shelf-read picture books
• Executed the library's double check-in process manually due to the lack of automatic check-in technology and shelved materials appropriately
• Assisted the Teen Librarian in organizing monthly programs tailored for teens with disabilities
• Established rapport with numerous teen participants, aiding them in discovering activities aligned with their interests.

Library Intern - Millvale Community Library - Millvale, PA

(2018-06 - 2018-09)

• Planned and facilitated "Girls Code Club," focusing on teaching girls ages 7-13 how to code using Scratch; conducted storytime sessions for babies and toddlers; engaged with energetic tweens; organized and executed various teen programs; staffed the circulation desk; assisted in the preparation and management of a new tool library.

Library Assistant via Pitt Partners - Scott Township Public Library - Scott Township, PA

(2017-09 - 2018-06)

• Organized and led reading groups; supported users with both technical inquiries and circulation-related questions; retrieved and shelved holds; processed hold requests and dispatched returns to their appropriate library district locations; issued library cards; reconciled cash balances at closing.

Volunteer - Treehouse Books - North Philadelphia, PA

(2017-01 - 2017-07)

Contributed to Treehouse Books, a free bookstore serving the economically disadvantaged neighborhood of North Philadelphia, during a period when there was no local public library and school libraries had been closed.

• Initiated weekly bicycle deliveries of books to children in North Philadelphia who signed up for the program.
• Later, assisted in managing the children's area, making decisions regarding which donated books to shelve and which to redirect
• Oversaw the "check-out" process (the organization operates more like a free bookshop, but refers to its collection as a library).

Writing Instructor - University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA

(2004-07 - 2005-01)

• Designed the syllabus and curriculum for the seminar "'Fess Up: Sins, Secrets, and Fictional Selves," which explored the literary and legal discourses of confession, with additional emphasis on contemporary practices of interrogation and torture.
• Facilitated discussion classes twice weekly.
• Critically evaluated and provided feedback on student writing.

Teaching Assistant - University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA

(2003-08 - 2004-05)

• Taught weekly recitation sections for large lecture courses, offered one-on-one meetings with learners to discuss their progress and difficulties. Courses included "Jane Austen and Adaptation" and "18th Century Poetry."

MLIS - Library and Information Science - University of Pittsburgh (2017-08 - 2018-12)

MLIS - Library and Information Science - University of Pittsburgh (2017-08 - 2018-12)

MA - English Literature - University of Pennsylvania (2002-07 - 2010-05)

BA - Literature in English - Brown University (1997-08 - 2001-05)