The Wyoming State Library (WSL) is pleased to introduce our newest employee! Joanne Pruitt recently joined the Library Development Office’s (LDO) team on December 30 as the Youth Services Consultant.
Having spent the past ten years teaching high school English (five years in LCSD2 and five years in LCSD1), Joanne brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her new position. The position of Youth Services Consultant also plays to Joanne’s strengths and passions, as she loves to read.
Joanne also brings a unique perspective and connection to libraries to the WSL, as her family immigrated from the Philippines to the U.S. when she was four-and-a-half years old. When she arrived in the U.S., Joanne spoke only Tagalog and learned English using resources from the public library, including Hooked on Phonics and books from the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
“My mom made sure I knew how to speak English before I started kindergarten at my new school in Alaska,” said Joanne. “The public library was a lifeline for us.”
Joanne is looking forward to being the Wyoming libraries’ touchpoint for the Collaborative Summer Library Program. She also has experience with the program as a patron, as she has lived in Wyoming for fifteen years and has enjoyed participating in it with her three children.
When she’s not at work, Joanne spends her time reading and driving her children around to their various activities. She’s recently found a creative outlet in art and enjoys working on paint by number projects.
The WSL welcomes Joanne and appreciates the expertise and perspective she brings to the LDO team!