As this year’s grand marshal waves to people lining the streets for Litchfield’s annual Watercade parade, she will probably hear a lot of children shouting, “Hi, Mrs. Pease!”
That’s because many children know Mrs. Pease as the children’s librarian at the Litchfield Public Library. Jan Pease has been reading to children for story time since 1991, and nowadays attendees include many adults, with their own children in tow, who recall Pease reading to them years ago.
“They just have really good memories of the library,” Pease said about story time alumni. “They say, ‘Story time was magical.’ Because, you know, books are magical.”
Pease has had a “profound impact on youth in the community,” said Lyle Diekmann, a Watercade board member.
“It’s hard to find people in town who have not been influenced in some way by her work,” he added. “We think she is a great representative of Litchfield, and we’re excited for her to be part of this year’s Watercade celebration.”
Born in Clarion, Iowa, Pease moved to Litchfield in 1980 to be closer to her parents, who moved to the area in 1974. She’s married to David Pease, and they have one daughter, Rebecca.
Pease became children’s librarian during a sad period in her life, as she was grieving the loss of one of her children. Her son, Nathaniel, died soon after he was born in 1988, and Pease was struggling two years later. Worried about her daughter, Pease’s mom spotted an advertisement for a librarian assistant at eight hours per week and encouraged Pease to apply.
“I went in and applied for the job, and it grew like topsy,” Pease explained, as she soon went from assistant to children’s librarian.
Her job today goes well beyond promoting children’s books. She organizes Lego Night on Thursdays and crafts on Wednesdays, along with many other library events. Pease and librarian Beth Cronk are regular contributors to the Independent Review, with their columns running in the newspaper’s Community section every other week. Pease lets Litchfield residents know about the latest in children’s literature and new books at the library.
One of her favorite tasks, she said, is picking out new books for the library. Toddler Time, when kids come to listen to her read a story, is also a favorite.
“It’s gotten so that I just enjoy the children so much,” she said about story time.
What is it like working with a group of people known for having short attention spans? No problem, she said. “My attention span is pretty short, so we get along just fine.”
Pease received her bachelor’s degree in Christian ministry from Dakota Bible College in Huron, South Dakota. While the library is not church, Pease is an unofficial minister of reading, and she takes seriously the importance of getting kids to read at an early age.
“You have to be able to read to do just about everything,” she said.
During the summer, one of her main tasks is enrolling kids in the library summer reading program with the hope of keeping their skills sharp for when they return to school in the fall.
One of her disappointments, she noted, is seeing some kids fall away from reading as they get older.
“I still haven’t cracked the nut of, ‘Why do kids get tired of reading? Why do we lose them?’ Because we send them off to kindergarten — they love it... By fourth, fifth grade, we start losing kids,” she said.
While not every kid becomes a reader, Pease, 63, said she feels “incredibly wealthy” for the opportunity to affect the lives of so many children.
“A little girl just showed me a picture of a baby that her horse just had,” she added. “When you have the privilege of being in a child’s life a little bit, and they want to be sure to show you something..., you can’t buy that. You cannot buy that with money.”
Copyright 2016 Litchfield Independent Review/Crow River Media/Media News Group.