Stressful, scary and isolated are some of the ways a hospital stay can feel to a child. A hospital library, however, can provide comfort and a break from all the medical talk.
“[Books] take you to another world or to another idea or to another way of thinking about things,” says Phoebe Bacon, the librarian at the Grace Rea Garrett Children’s Library and Mr. & Mrs. G. Lloyd Bunting Sr. Family Resource Center at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
Bacon began her career as a nurse, but often pondered what else she might want to do. A book lover, Bacon noticed patients glued to their screens, and this was almost 30 years ago. She thought, “There will be a day when no one wants to read.”
This experience motivated her to leave the hospital and become an advocate for reading. Then, after a decade of working as a school librarian, she decided to combine her library degree and nostalgia for the medical setting. When the new Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center building opened in 2012 complete with a library and librarian position, she snatched it up. “It feels like I’ve come full circle,” says Bacon.
The attraction? She saw the need for someone to encourage kids to enjoy reading even more in a hospital. Books have the potential to reassure and add normalcy to a child recovering from a serious illness or injury, and to distract them from a long hospital stay. Whether she creates voices for characters or the “blipity-blopity-bloop” sound effect of a turkey rolling down a hill, Bacon is a storyteller who can transport any audience into any story she is reading.
“You have to be a little theatrical to be a librarian,” Bacon notes.
Most of her hands-on work happens on the units, where Bacon rolls a cart of books for patients to check out during their stay. Also, she spends about an hour each week with patients from the psychiatry unit when they venture down to the library.
When the children first walk in, they are welcomed by Bacon’s engaging smile. Then they sit in a circle, introduce themselves and share what they want to explore that day. As the kids browse the shelves, Phoebe glides around the room and helps each child find a book or activity that matches their interests. When Bacon faces a young boy who rejects reading anything, she sits down to eye level and talks to him.
In addition to the wonder that comes from reading, Bacon values the educational experience gained from books. The value of education is highlighted in her second position as the Children’s Center’s Home and Hospital program liaison, in which she ensures patients have access to teachers when they are out of school for an extended period of time.
Though not in the limelight, Bacon finds rewards in the little moments throughout the day. Her time with families is fleeting — many times they do not remember her name — so it is gratifying when parents hug her for helping them during a rough time.
“I’m here for the parents, not to feel good about myself,” states Bacon.
Most importantly, Bacon hopes to connect each person with the perfect book. Her heart is particularly warmed when a patient has left the hospital, but the book they return comes with a note saying something as simple as “I loved this book.”