BELCHERTOWN — The Clapp Memorial Library is the home of Jennifer Whitehead.
At least, that is what Belchertown’s youngest readers tell their parents.
“They just think I live here, and sometimes it feels like I do,” said Whitehead, the town’s Youth Services Librarian. “I’m their connection to the library. They just think this is my place, which it is to some extent, but I share it with everybody.”
Clapp Memorial Library enriches Belchertown families’ lives with curiosity, literacy and stories, and Whitehead is the key to its success. She has been so busy running programs, connecting families and supporting literacy education, that 30 years flew by in the blink of an eye. In that time, she has become a cornerstone in the community.
“I now have my first story time children bringing their children to my story times,” Whitehead said. “There are families that I’ve known the whole time that I’ve been here, and they really are like family.”
Librarian was not what Whitehead wanted to be when she grew up. In fact, reading and spelling were difficult for her in middle and high school. But yesterday’s hindrance has become an asset today. Whitehead better understands children who are nervous about reading, and can flip those anxieties into passion.
“When you instill the love of books at that young of an age, even if they struggle when they first start to read, they’re still motivated because they love books so much,” she said.
Whitehead brought the Paws to Read Program, where children read to therapy dogs, to Belchertown specifically for those shy readers to practice. The young adult book club she started turns literacy into a social activity for busy teenagers. Her summer reading program, complete with a kickoff event, end-of-summer party and school certificate, keeps books popular among Belchertown youth.
“Since the moment I started, I’ve got nothing but praise about her programs,” Clapp Memorial Library Director Cyndi Harbeson said. “People would just be like, ‘You have this rockstar! Do you know how lucky you are?’ And it’s so true.”
When Belchertown children need a new accommodation or resource, Whitehead is quick to acquire it, Harbeson said. The library curated a collection of large print books for children with vision impairments. After hearing about some kids with sensory issues, Harbeson added acoustic paneling in the activity room at Whitehead’s request.
“She’s phenomenal,” Harbeson said. “Her enthusiasm for children is limitless. She goes above and beyond to connect to children with books, with literacy [and] with any special needs they have.”
Whitehead continues to spearhead reading when fewer teenagers are picking up a book. According to a 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, fewer than half of Americans read a book in the last year.
The library is unusually quiet for a summer Friday afternoon. Whitehead confirms that 15 years ago, families would have filled up the building and formed a line at the circulation desk.
But Belchertown youth are still reading: the summer program has averaged 450 kids each year for the last decade. The library’s junior volunteer program, where teenagers lead youth programming, has expanded from 20 people to 50 or 60.
Instead, Whitehead credits the building emptiness to families’ increasingly busy schedules. More children enroll in childcare centers while their parents work. Teenagers now spend all summer attending various camps, training for sports and practicing their instruments. It used to be one day a week, and now it’s four or five, she said.
If the families will not come to the library, then Whitehead brings the library to families. Once a month, she arrives at the Belchertown Day School “ready to play and read and sing,” Executive Director Christy Little said. Story time with Whitehead keeps the kids engaged with questions, props and, for the youngest readers, their own books to hold.
“It’s a really nice community where families feel connected, and Jennifer is a big part of why,” Little said.
By reaching out to daycares, afterschool programs and the Belchertown Public Schools, Whitehead maintains the library’s bond with children. Harbeson said children then ask to stop by the library with their parents just to see Whitehead.
These relationships, however, are not one-sided. In the four years that Little has been at the Belchertown Day School, Whitehead has shared Clapp Memorial’s network of resources with her. Alphabet playing cards funded through a grant, story walks around town and even science and technology activity kits are all available through their partnership.
“It’s been a pleasure,” Little said. “She’s helped me a lot to make connections around town as well as the kids. We’re all really grateful that she’s here.”
In commemoration of her 30 years as a Belchertown librarian, the Clapp Memorial Library planted a shadbush tree, also known as a serviceberry, in Whitehead’s honor. It is hard for Whitehead to fathom the years she has spent in the bookcases of the town’s library. It sounds long, but it does not feel that way.
“Having a job that you really love makes all the difference,” Whitehead said.
