Erin Streeter, Warsaw Community Public Library’s children’s services librarian, stands in the children’s department holding “The Gift of Gerbert’s Feathers” by Meaghann Weaver and Lori Wiener, which she warns is an emotional story. There is only a short time left in the winter reading program as it finishes at the end of the month.

WARSAW — In December, Erin Streeter celebrated her one-year anniversary as the children’s services librarian at Warsaw Community Public Library. However, her love of libraries has been ingrained in her since she was a child.

Her father would bring her to the Warsaw Library frequently as a child, before it expanded. As a student at Claypool Elementary, she also enjoyed visiting the school library the few days a week it would be open during the summer months since she was able to ride her bike there. This passion then transferred over into Streeter’s career.

At Boston University, she earned a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management. She then took online courses through the University of Kentucky to get her masters in library science. In order to gain experience, she worked as a part-time clerk at the North Manchester Library. “In a small library you learn a little bit of everything,” she commented. Streeter then began working at the children’s desk in order to gain a more permanent position.

Looking to step up, she found openings in children’s management positions at area libraries. She applied and became the children’s librarian in Rochester before the Warsaw position opened. Living in Warsaw, Streeter wanted to work closer to home and the Warsaw Library had been her career goal so she took the plunge.

As the children’s librarian she has “developed a new appreciation for picture books,” she laughed. She enjoys talking to the younger, kindergarten-aged children who are really interested in a few particular topics as well as the older kids who she can share Minecraft hints with.

While books are her main priority, arts and crafts are also becoming more important. Even the winter reading program partially focuses on reading and partially focuses on getting the children to interact and engage, having them read to their parents or a pet and talk to a librarian. In the last year, they also added Greyt Readers which allows children to gain more confidence by reading aloud to Greyhounds. A new Makerspace club focuses on STEM activities. The library also recently held its first children’s painting program which focuses on a step by step process.

Streeter also mentioned the library is working in collaboration more with the parks department. In the summer they have reading in the park. Recently they held their first family game night. Her goal is double-sided. She wants to get the library activities out into the community more as well as encourage the community to come into the library. “The library is becoming more like a community center and less book storage space,” Streeter explained.
Ideally, she would also like to get slightly taller shelves, enough to fit one more row, in order to have both more book space and more people room.

When she moved back to Indiana with her husband, Dan, from Syracuse, N.Y., they planned to live here for approximately five years before moving on again. Currently, they have almost doubled that and, with her dream career at the Warsaw Library, Streeter does not see herself leaving any time soon. “It’s a fun job when you can play with Legos and play Minecraft,” she recounted.

Previously she worked as an event planner before she became burned out. She also worked in housekeeping, at a library during college, in a hockey arena selling tickets and at an internship dealing with events at a study abroad in Ireland. Her time working at a vet’s office during high school also taught her Rottweilers are her breed of choice. She and her husband have a Rottweiler and a Weimaraner, Bear and Leo.

Someday, Streeter said she dreams of perhaps opening her own bed and breakfast.