As the familiar sound of the scanner permeated the quiet of the library, Librarian Teacher Jennifer Radosevich smiled as she picked up a copy of the “Patron Saints of Nothing” and handed it to the student in front of her. This being one of her favorite books, Radosevich couldn’t help but feel excited at the prospect of sharing the thrilling experience of reading Randy Ribay’s writing with so many young minds.
Radosevich is one of the two new library staff hired this year. Alongside Library Media Technician Sheller Doniye, they have both taken their places within the Westview community.
Radosevich said she has always been passionate about literature and teaching, having started her career as an English teacher, a position she held for eight years.
“I really enjoyed it, but with a husband and children it was getting to be too much with all the grading,” Radosevich said. “I wasn’t quite ready to leave the classroom setting though, and during that time I worked at a school that had teacher librarians who would come alongside classroom teachers to help teach research and plan [lessons]. I thought that was really cool, so when I got my master’s degree, I decided to get it in K-12 Library Science. I’ve been in the library ever since. This is my 18th year.”
Doniye has also spent a long career as a librarian due to her love for reading.
“I’ve been working for PUSD since 2011, and I’ve subbed as an LMT for many middle and high schools,” Sheller said. “Reading has always been a huge aspect of my professional and recreational life.”
While Doniye has stayed in San Diego for the majority of her career, Radosevich lived and worked primarily in Colorado and Virginia. She moved to San Diego this summer and she said it’s been quite the adjustment for Radosevich and her family.
“It’s a big transition,” Radosevich said. “New jobs for both my husband and me and new schools for my kids. Something I’m still getting used to is the visual aspect of Westview, since everything in [my previous schools] was connected by interior hallways. Everything here is pretty open [and] I think the [consistent] weather has a lot to do with it. It’s going to be so different when it’s Christmas and it’s still this temperature.”
However, Radosevich said the new environment has brought forth an eagerness to get to know a whole new body of students.
“With a new school, there are so many new connections to make,” Radosevich said. “It’s so nice to be a librarian because though I don’t have a group of kids that are mine, instead I get the whole school. I feel like the whole school is my class.”
Doniye shares this sediment, looking forward to coming to Westview due to the bonds she’s created.
“I love my job,” Doniye said. “I’m excited to come to work every day. It’s been an easy adjustment [because] I get to work with amazing people.”
As a librarian teacher, Radosevich will be educating the students on how to cite credible sources and write effectively.
“I think it’s really important, especially now, to invite students to think about information literacy and what’s good information and what’s not,” Radosevich said. “They have to learn how to deal with that ethically and how to produce their own information in credible ways.”
Above all else, Radosevich said she wants to encourage students to read and engage with all different types of literature more.
“I think there is no such thing as a bad book, but there is such a thing as a bad fit,” Radosevich said. “And life is too short, so it’s important to find a book that speaks to you. Helping students to connect their personal interests is something I love to do.”
Doniye also has a goal for this school year.
“I aim to continue to help make the library a safe and fun place for students,” Sheller said. “The library should be a sanctuary and I aim to keep it that way.”
Radosevich said she is looking forward to her new role at Westview.
“Whether it’s helping students find the right book, developing their intellectual curiosity about things, [or] helping with research for their projects, I’m just so excited to get to know the students better,” Radosevich said. “I think that’s why I’ve been in this profession for 26 years because I think young people are seriously cool. I will probably learn more from you than you do from me.”
