West End Branch Library Intern Tamika Green Talks about Her Involvement with Inclusive Internship Initiative

L-R: West End Library branch manager Maya Jones and Tamika Green

2018 Parker High School graduate Tamika Green gained a better perspective of the important role libraries play in Birmingham this summer. In June she was selected to participate in the Public Library Association 2018 Inclusive Internship Initiative, a national program designed to expose teen interns to library careers. Green, who is now enrolled at Alabama State University pursuing a degree in criminal justice, was so impressed that she plans to return to her assigned library, West End Library, to work while home during her Christmas holiday break.

A patron gets to know civil rights foot soldier W.A. Casey at Person-to-Person Library

Recently, Green and her mentor, West End Library branch manager Maya Jones, did an interview with Fox 6 News about the Person-to-Person Library program, a concept in which libraries "check out" to patrons human experts who share their stories. They came up with the idea to expose patrons to interesting people in the community. During a recent session of Person-to-Person Library, Green and Jones worked with two Birmingham foot soldiers, Gwendolyn Webb and W.A. Casey, who met with patrons and talked about their involvement marching during the civil rights movement.

In June Jones and Green attended a Birmingham City Council meeting to talk about their partnership in the Inclusive Intern Initiative.