Children’s Literacy is my Nature

Children’s Literacy is Danielle Anguish’s nature. “Even as a teenager, children would flock to me. Children are very discerning, either they like you, or they don’t, and I love that honesty about them.”

Danielle Anguish is the Children’s Services Manager of the Henderson County Public Library. “Miss Danielle,” as many of the younger library patrons know her, started working at the library as a college student. Her passion for children’s learning is evident in her educational background and her longtime association with the Henderson Public Library.   She has an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, a Bachelor’s of Science in Consumer Family Sciences with an emphasis in Family Studies and a Masters in Human Development and Leadership.  Her education and love for children blend nicely for the position she holds at the library.

Danielle credits much of her success to her predecessor, Mrs. Glenda Dixon, or as she is affectionately known by those who have had the pleasure of meeting her, “Mrs. Glenda.”

“Mrs. Glenda laid a great foundation at the library. She was here for 37 years and left big shoes to fill, and it was my goal to continue the legacy that she left.“

Storytime is an opportunity for parents and children to come together and share a bonding experience through reading.  Week after week, Danielle manages to captivate and engage audiences of youngsters and parents alike.  “Storytime is a fun time for me. The sillier I am, the better and the more engaged the children and their adults are.”

In many cases, Danielle serves as a child’s first teacher. “In my position, I am very blessed to be the first person to place a book in a child’s hand.” She also enjoys seeing the children grow and develop through the years. “Some of them have been coming to story time since they were 2 and 3 months old, now they’re school age.” Danielle believes it is important to engage readers while they are young to instill in them a love of reading, a love of books and a love for their library.

Danielle continues to seek out new ideas for programming and activities to keep all younger patrons interested in coming through the library doors. Danielle also engages children who may not be able to visit the library through community outreach. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of kids that have never been inside the library.”  Recently she had a hand in establishing a “Mini-library” at the John F. Kennedy Center.

Danielle’s commitment to the library, her dedication of her time, energy, and focus to the development of the youth of this community, and her passion for early literacy demonstrate why children’s literacy is her nature.