Mrs. Julie T. Miran, Hill's director of information services, was a speaker at the Reading Public Library Staff Development Day on Tuesday, November 3. Miran presented her topic, "Young Adult Spaces and Collections," during one of the two breakout sessions.
 
Miran was contacted by the director of the Reading Public Library as the event was being planned. She saw it as an opportunity to give back to the library system amid  recent budget cuts facing many public libraries. Miran also liked the idea of using the library as a resource to reach out to young adults.

“I  was really eager to talk with them about how they create an environment that engages adolescents, encourages them to be respectful, and addresses the shifts that have occurred with the advent of so many new technologies and resources in their spaces,”  Miran said.

During her presentation, Miran facilitated discussion on the challenges of engaging adolescents and not censoring  books that are bought by the library. She also related her experience at The Hill to that of the Reading Public Library, sharing strategic goals and copies of e-mails to students and faculty that encourage appropriate behavior in the library. Continuing her outreach to the community, Miran has agreed to return to the Reading Public Library during the winter and present a session that will help students and parents learn how to recognize accurate internet resources.