Hello, everyone! If you’ve been to the Allstate Library, we’ve probably already met. But since I’m going to be one of the contributors for this blog (along with our amazing new Student Life and Leadership Coordinator, Rebecca Sarver), I wanted to tell you a little more about myself. (And if we haven’t met yet, drop by the library and we can chat in person.) My name is Emily Young, and I’ve been working as a library paraprofessional at Allstate for a little over a year now. I love it here, and I am so excited for the changes taking place on campus. Just in the past year, the library has been transformed: we have an updated collection of books, beautiful new flooring, cozy chairs, a Chill Zone (stocked with board games and art therapy supplies), and even our own Library Club, ‘Book Em.

You’ve probably already guessed this . . . but I love books. I graduated from USF St. Petersburg in 2012 with degrees in journalism and English. (I still love journalism, and write a column for The Tampa Bay Times on how to throw parties based on pop culture.) Currently, I am pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and will graduate in July 2016. My favorite thing about the Allstate Library is working with this fascinating collection of books– I’m already learning so much about criminal justice and public safety—and the students. I am constantly inspired by how hard the Allstate students work to achieve their goals, and I am thrilled that I can help them along that journey.

Fast facts:

• I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, and never saw snow until last year. (It was a lot wetter than I expected.)
• I grew up owning basenjis (a barkless hunting dog from Africa); now I have a cat who likes to play practical jokes on me. (She’s basically Hobbes.)
• My favorite holiday is Halloween (Another reason I love Allstate: we turn the place into a Haunted House every October. Check it out next year!)
• Once I nearly got eaten by a badger.
• The coolest place I’ve visited is Bath, England. There are these amazing Roman bathhouses, sweetshops straight out of a Harry Potter novel . . . and forests filled with badgers (see above).
• My favorite authors are Maggie Stiefvater, Ernest Hemingway, C.S. Lewis, Suzanne Collins . . . okay I’ll stop now. But if you have a recommendation, I would love to hear it.

If you need any help finding a book, using the library databases, or writing a paper, please don’t hesitate to ask! The best part of my day is when I can help someone from the SPC community find what they need. Drop by the Allstate Library, email me at Young.Emily@spcollege.edu, or call at 727-341-4486. I look forward to hearing from you!