STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Living the Legacy of Libraries and Literacy

By Jeremiah Walter

Melody Alvarez was instilled with a love of reading, storytelling, and libraries at a young age growing up in Hammond, Indiana.

“I remember my mom telling me stories at night, whether it was reading or just oral storytelling,” recalls Alvarez, now Pikes Peak Library District's (PPLD) Director of Family & Children’s Services. “And we would always go to the library and check out lots of books that my mom would read to me.”

As a teenager, Alvarez turned that love into what became her career.

“When I turned 16 and was looking for a job, I got a job as a shelving page in the children’s department at our downtown library. I had been thinking I would go to school to be a teacher. Then I saw what the children's librarians were doing, and I thought, ‘This is kind of fun. I could plan storytimes and I don't have to worry about grading papers.’”

“This is kind of fun. I could plan storytimes and I don't have to worry about grading papers.”

This inspired Alvarez to earn a bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Purdue University. While in college, she continued working at the library in Hammond.

“When I graduated, they created a young adult department,” says Alvarez. "I was able to create the whole Teen Scene area, and I was the librarian in charge of that area. But my heart was always in children’s and when a children's librarian position opened in youth services, I moved into that role. Then, the head of youth services retired, and they moved me into that position.”

A few years into leading that department, she met a musician named Joe Alvarez, who was performing with his band – Los Guapos, from New Mexico – at a CD release party in Hammond. They began dating and were married two years later. Her new husband was in the Army and stationed in Tacoma, Washington, so she moved away from home for the first time and began a stretch of several years where they moved regularly.

“I lived in Tacoma for six months, and then we moved to Missouri for another six months. Then we came here [to Colorado Springs], and I fell in love with it. It's beautiful. The mountains are wonderful.”

It was at this time that Alvarez began her first stint at PPLD. “I was a part-time children's librarian at East Library and then when Library 21c opened [in 2014], I applied for the supervisory position and got it.”

When her husband’s Army career ended, he wanted to work on his graduate degree. To accomplish this, they moved to Massachusetts, where their daughter Miabella was born.

“I didn't have a lot of toys for her. It was mostly books. And it was just me and her because we didn't live around family and Joe was in school and working,” remembers Alvarez. “So, I was constantly talking, singing, and reading to her. She picked it up and started kindergarten at a fourthgrade reading level. If we want kids to start reading, we need to focus more on that first five years. After Joe completed his graduate degree, I said, ‘I'm ready to go back to Colorado.’ Luckily, there was an early literacy position open at PPLD.”

Then, in April 2020, a month after PPLD had closed its doors to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic,

“We did virtual storytimes, we did drive-in storytimes. We wanted to make sure that we were still meeting the needs of families,” says Alvarez. “We also did Stroll-a-Story, which was at six different open spaces and all the libraries.”

The biggest initiative for both Family & Children’s Services and Young Adult Services is Summer Adventure, which is “a program where children and families can read and interact,” explains Alvarez. “It gives them something to do to keep their minds active in the summer and prevents summer slide. When a child is out of school, and they're not practicing reading, they lose some of what they learned the previous school year.

“But more importantly, ages 0 - 5 is a great time to read with your child. Those first five years are when they're learning everything and grasping everything. That's when their brain is developing the most. Also, for that early age, talk is so important. Just talking, reading, or singing… they're getting so much out of that.”

Summer Adventure participants can earn prizes through reading and other activities all summer long. The first prize for all ages is a book.

”We want to help create a home library,” explains Alvarez. “I always feel that even if this is the only book that the child has, they could read it multiple times and get something different out of it each time. It doesn't matter how many books you have in your home if you have at least one. And if the Library is able to provide that one book to a family, that makes it all worth it.”

Programs are another important part of Summer Adventure.

“We try to bring in performers, and that's really important because we recognize that children need to experience music, magicians, puppet shows, and other things they might not see outside of the Library,” says Alvarez. “It's expensive for a family to take kids to the zoo. If we bring in animals and children learn about that at the Library, that's so valuable.”

Alvarez also sees other benefits public libraries bring to the communities they serve.

“Libraries are very, very important. We're the heart of the community. Being former military, [I realized] you can learn a lot about your community through the library — what they offer, and what resources they have available. We need to make sure that libraries are available for everyone, that we're offering something for every age, and that everyone sees themselves in

JUNE 1 - JULY 30

Have an adventure with Pikes Peak Library District this summer! The 2023 Summer Adventure presented by Children’s Hospital Colorado program helps kids and teens stay engaged and active over the summer months. Anyone ages 0 - 18 can participate and win prizes through reading, moving, and imagining. The adventure runs from June 1 - July 31. Here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Register

Visit ppld.org/Summer-Adventure for more info and win a prize after registering!

Step 2: Track your progress

Read, move, or imagine for 30 days and track your progress by logging each activity. Use the Game Card located on the last page of this District Discovery issue.

Step 3: Win prizes!

After you complete 30 days of activities, win a second prize!

And that’s not all!

Be sure to join us at our Summer Adventure parties and concerts! Learn more at ppld.org/summer-adventure

Fri., July 21 | 10 a.m. - noon | George Fellows Park

Wed., July 26 | 6 - 7:30 p.m. | Manitou Springs Library Lawn

Fri., July 28 | 10 a.m. - noon | Aga Park

Fri., Aug. 4 | 10 a.m. - noon | Venezia Park