To watch children’s faces light up when they discover a book that truly excites them is one of the perks of Audry Sanders’ job as a children’s librarian.

With just a few weeks at the helm as the new children’s librarian at Kingfisher Memorial Library, Sanders is already engrossed in planning fun and engaging activities for children of all ages. She is a certified librarian and has worked at the Hennessey Public Library for 14 years and as their children’s librarian for 12 years.

She lives in Hennessey with her husband Charles and has two children, Christopher (22) and Ashley (17).

During her time at the Hennessey library, Sanders said she worked with Mary Haney and learned a lot as they created different programming and did many things for the children and the community.

When Sanders was first starting as children’s librarian, Haney encouraged her to reach out to Emelia Turner, the former longtime children’s librarian at the Kingfisher library, for assistance.

“I would call and talk to Emelia and she was really a mentor to me,” Sanders said.

While at Hennessey, Sanders said she was involved with bringing storytime to the schools and Head Start programs, reading books to Dover pre-k students and the summer reading program. In the summer reading

In the summer reading program, she also had a tween (ages 10-12) and teen (13 and up) division, which she said she would like to incorporate at Kingfisher.

Some of the older kids would volunteer to assist with the younger kids’ activities in the morning and then participate in their own activities in the afternoon, Sanders said.

Her goals, she said, are to find out the needs of the community and do her best to come up with programming that fulfills those needs.

“Right now, I’m just getting my feet wet and trying to get to know the kids and Kingfisher library patrons,” Sanders commented.

Not only is she adjusting to her new position, but like everyone else, she is learning to work within the realm of the COVID-19 pandemic and its limitations.

Children’s storytime will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and will be recorded via Zoom and be available on the library Facebook page, Sanders said.

The plan is to have a new storytime posted every Tuesday and they will also have a calendar with the activities for the current month on their Facebook page, she said.

Being flexible is the key right now, but she is hopeful they can have small groups at the library for storytime by November, Sanders said.

“One of my favorite things is doing story time with the kids,” she said.

Just watching the children as they listen and get interested in the story brings her a lot of enjoyment, Sanders said.

September is also “Pirate month” at Kingfisher Memorial Library, with “Talk like a pirate day” and various pirate-themed activities.

Beginning the second week of September and continuing through the end of the month, the library will offer pirate-themed crafts, a scavenger hunt, opportunities to make your own treasure chest and much more.

Throughout the year the library programming will have different themes, often associated with the season or special days within the month, such as Dr. Seuss day or Groundhog day.

Although e-books are available online, many of the children still want to feel that book in their hand, Sanders said, and one aspect of her position is to help kids find “a book that will really piques their interest and gets them excited about reading.”

“I love watching their faces light up as they pick out their favorite book or when they find that one book they love and want to tell you all about it,” Sanders said.

“It is pure joy that can’t be duplicated.”

The library has many resources available not only for children, but for adults as well. Sometimes people forget about the library and all it offers, Sanders said.

Beyond the vast inventory of books, the library has movies, newspapers, computer and internet access, as well as printing and faxing capabilities.

Another bonus feature of “Pirate month” is it’s also amnesty month, which means any overdue materials can be returned during the month of September and the penalties will be forgiven.

During her free time, Sanders said she enjoys spending time with family, reading, quilting, sewing, and gardening, as well as just being outdoors.

She is excited about the opportunities in her position as children’s librarian at the Kingfisher library, she said. She hopes to encourage more people to utilize the library, strengthening community involvement and creating a partnership.

“I welcome feedback and ideas about the children’s programming,” Sanders said.

“I always want to work to fulfill the needs of our library patrons.”