Being a teen librarian is NOT for the faint of heart; you have to learn and keep up with all the new slang – “fit” refers to one’s wardrobe, “cooking” means making something that, in the process, will be really good, “bussin” means extremely good, “banger” means catchy and exciting, “rizz” is short for charisma, “no cap” means to be truthful, and not a lie, and “bet” means “I am in agreement with your statement”. And that’s just to name a few. Gone are the days of “Word!” meaning “I understand” and “that’s whack” signifying one’s disagreement with a said statement. But “beef”—meaning to take issue with someone over a certain way of seeing things—will always be “beef”. At least, I hope so.
It is no cap that our new Teen Librarian, Jordan Prouty, has been cooking lately with the teens at the Sedona Public Library. His many programs, from an after-school Mario Kart tournament to a boba tea hangout just for teens where they sampled different types of the delectable Japanese drink have been real bangers. The teens and tweens have taken to Jordan, considering him one of their own, and someone they can talk to about anything. Truly his rizz has won them over.
When he’s not chaperoning teen movie night on the 2nd Saturday of the month, where teens and tweens get to watch a free movie and enjoy pizza, popcorn, and soda with friends, Jordan can be found at both the Circulation and Reference stations, diligently helping patrons with answers to their questions and general library assistance.
As a fellow librarian-in-arms, it’s great working with Jordan. He’s calm, level-headed, and approaches all situations logically. Though Jordan hasn’t even been with the library for a full year, he fits in great with the everyone. We, and especially the teens and tweens, are fortunate to have him. Bet!
Here are some more interesting facts about Jordan, in his own words.
Where were you born?
I was born in Tucson but grew up in Cottonwood since I was a toddler. I recently moved back here last August after receiving my MLIS in Library Science from the University of Arizona in Tucson. My parents still live in the area, and I have one younger sister who still lives in the state, so it is nice to be close to family again after moving around a lot for a few years. It is also a perk that some of my closest friends both growing up and in my adult life live here as well.
What was your first job?
As a junior in high school, I started working at the Sedona Walgreens. I found out about it through a family friend that worked there in an administrative position. It was in all honesty not an exciting job working the front register, but it was my first experience working in a customer service position, a skill that all of our librarians here exhibit well. In college I worked different summer jobs, including as a salmon fishing crewman in Alaska. I was an entry-level county planner in Washington State for a bit before deciding to go back to school and become a librarian. I have no rhyme or reason as to why I chose this profession; it simply just felt like the right fit.
What book most influenced you and why?
I do not have a specific book that influenced my life. While I do love to read, I am not one to regularly recollect and apply books into my life. It is more about certain characters, passages, and quotes that pertain to me. If anyone has spoken to me in depth about my tattoos, they would know about the horn with hot coals filled to the brim inside on my forearm. This symbol is from a couple of books by the author Cormac McCarthy, such as The Road and No County for Old Men. The meaning behind this symbol is to carry fire within you, similar to how travelers in the old west would carry coals from their previous camp with them to their next, so that they would have the ingredients ready to start a new fire, no matter outside forces.
“He just rode on past and he had this blanket wrapped around him and he had his head down and when he rode past I seen he was carryin fire in a horn the way people used to do and I could see the horn from the light inside of it. About the color of the moon. And in the dream I knew that he was goin on ahead and that he was fixin to make a fire somewhere out there in all that dark and all that cold and I knew that whenever I got there he would be there. And then I woke up.” Sheriff Ed Tom Bell recalls a dream about his father. Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men
Are you team dog or cat and why?
Honestly, I want both a dog and a cat and to coerce a friendship between them. I hope they would not end up hating each other! But in all seriousness, I like both dogs and cats. I had cats when I was little, and for a long time we had a small dog until a few years ago. Each of the species’ respective personalities have their own pros and cons. You can always expect an excited greeting and plenty of play from a dog, while cats are great lounging buddies who are nonplussed and take no attitude. I think that the two of them blended together into one household would make for an interesting dynamic and some fun memories.
Have you ever seen a ghost or UFO?
No, I cannot say I have. I have been in plenty of scary places but have not been affected by supernatural or temporal forces while perusing the grounds. I do think that there is a solid chance that somewhere out there, forms of life could exist on certain “goldilocks” planets. I mean, if the universe is infinite and we have only discovered such a small amount, then why not?
As I mentioned in the beginning, I do hold a master’s in library and information science, the qualification of a true librarian. I have been here since October 2023, first as a library assistant, and now as the Teen Librarian. I acquire and weed the YA collection, as well as plan programs and events for our Tween/Teen patrons. We have the 2024 Summer Reading Program going on until August 3rd. Teens can log minutes and write book reviews using our online portal to earn raffle tickets for prizes. Stop by the Youth Services department to learn how to register! Thank you for reading and thank you for continuing to support YOUR library!
A library is not just made up of books, or the programs and services it provides. It’s a place of community, with great people on staff to make it possible. Special thanks to Fernando Quisumbing for assisting with the current teen/tween vocabulary.
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gifts supplement the funding and support we receive from the City of Sedona, Coconino and Yavapai County property taxes, and Friends of The Sedona Library. Please visit sedonalibrary.org/donate to make an online gift.
As published by Red Rock News
Library News Column for June 21, 2024
Written by Jan Marc Quisumbing, Scheduling Coordinator