After 14 fruitful years of serving at the prestigious Shrewsbury Public Library, their very own Linda Johnson Dashnaw will be retiring as the head of office at the children’s services. One of her favorite moments includes reading perhaps her first of many Children’s Room Story Time for kids who are on their first day at school. As for this last time, she says that she actually did the back-to-school story, “And as I did my final little song, which is a goodbye song, I waved my hand and I started to tear up,” Dashnaw stated. She also admits that the moment was quite a very emotional one, because she is aware that it would be the very last time she could do that.
Born and raised in Shrewsbury, she felt very much as ease borrowing books from the public library since she was very young. Dashnaw says that she loved books so much and she is very particular and considers reading as a very crucial part of her sunny childhood in Shrewsbury. Before she became part of the library staff back in 1998, Dashnaw has taught middle school at the Coolidge and Paton for more or less seven years. And after almost two years off from her work after the birth of her third child, she then taught at a preschool for almost twelve years at the Lilliput Early Childhood Center.
All throughout her years serving the town’s library, she always got memory flashes from her years of teaching the children.
“I’ve seen children who I taught at Paton or Coolidge and they’re now bringing their children to the library – and they’re not even babies anymore; these are grown children,” she said with a laugh. “It’s the circle of life.”
And out of the many programs suited for libraries which she has accomplished in the past, the story-telling times have been, somehow, one of her favorites. She says that her own granddaughter, young Emma always attends to her story time, and she thinks her granddaughter’s attendance is quite a blessing. She says that she has a penchant for education and working with little children and watching them learn and play.
As a teacher and a librarian by heart and by profession, Dashnaw definitely understands that the way to successful and productive learning truly begins even before kids start school. She believes in strong literacy for children, and agrees that when children are encouraged to go to school, they will be meeting teachers who will always be there especially when they need the much-sought after encouragement both in reading, writing, and participating in class.
Following in December, the Children’s Room also boasts of a self-help resource for early-on reading and literacy, that’s the Preschool Computer Center. There are two computers that feature touch screen technology and age-fit software for easier tackling of child literacy.
