This article was authored by a local high school student as part of Lookout’s Journalism Scholarship Challenge and placed in the top 3 winners.
Like the still surface of a pond, the door to a library appears calm and unassuming. Taking a walk around the shelves and meandering through the aisles feels like gliding through pleasant water. There’s a quiet solitude libraries historically embrace; however, today, by rounding the right corner, you might stumble upon a cacophony of laughter – the Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ weekly children’s programs.
The kids’ voices bubble and pop as their inner gears work, trying to turn the images in their minds into tangible Lego builds. They question and explore as they work together to create their own world in Minecraft. Their eyes are on each other as much as the screen. These programs and the joy they create are the result of one woman: Sandi Imperio.
At 67 years of age and full of wisdom, she maintains a kind and energetic spirit. She is full of laughter, wit and sarcasm. Imperio has been working at libraries since 1978 and started her first Lego program in 2015. When the program started, she had to bring in her very own colorful bricks.
“I brought my own Legos in … and then the program was so popular that the La Selva Beach Friends [of the library] bought me Legos,” she recalled with a smile. Asked about her time with the libraries and her age, she responded, “People ask why I’ve been with the library for so long … why haven’t I tried for a management job and stuff like that. I don’t want to sit in an office all day. I don’t want to go to meetings all day … I like being out with the public.”
And the public likes being with her. At any of the programs there can be found a devoted group of kids playing together and learning to be themselves. In the Minecraft program, children sit in groups using laptops to play and build on a digital world available only to those around them. Mathis Newbold, a 14-year-old participant and volunteer, was asked about his experiences.
“I’ve known Sandi since I was a kid,” he said, “so I’d say I’ve been coming to the program for around seven years.”
Then asked what kept him coming back, he simply responded with a toothy smile: “Sandi.”
During the Minecraft program, Mathis’ twin brother, Miles Newbold, can be seen helping others. He too was asked about Sandi’s role in the programs and children’s experiences.
“She helps connect and bind the community together better than the strongest superglue … in terms of binding stuff together and meshing incompatible things she’s at the top!”
Because of these programs, kids are able to make new friends rather than staying home on a screen alone. Imperio herself dislikes digital work.
“The programs keep me in touch, you know, as compared to sitting at a computer all day long answering emails,” she chuckled, “ which isn’t exactly a fun thing to do.” When questioned about the practical relevance of libraries in the digital era, sheedit commented, “The problem with [the internet] is there’s so much information out there and so much DIS-information out there. And to be able to filter through all that information that you have … libraries are still the gathering point. Librarians go to school to get their master’s degree. … They vet all the reference materials and order all the books.”
Imperio has a deep love and commitment to the environment and community libraries cultivate.
“I was branch manager at two small libraries and those were great. Because you got to know everybody, you talked with everybody, and you got to know what people liked. You know, you see a book in a series that comes in and you can pull it aside,” she said. “I really miss checking books in and out as compared to self-check … I don’t get to see people and talk to people and see what people are checking out. Yeah, you see them when they come back in, but you don’t have any interaction … we don’t have reference desks and stuff anymore so people don’t come and ask me questions.”
Her values of community and kindness persist throughout her programs. She’s taken a place of solitary learning and transformed it into a communal place of joy. Today these programs now feature new laptops and an expanded collection of Lego robotics kits available for any kid to experiment in engineering and coding. Matt Hofmann, a weekly volunteer and member of Imperio’s Advisory Council of Teens, commented on Imperio’s style of hands-on learning.
“It makes the kids think outside of the box,” he said. “ They tend to think of other ways to do things.”
Her enthusiasm, perspective, and kindness are no doubt contagious to all those who have met her. She’s an inspiration and a testament to being truthful and following your heart. Despite the educational aspects of her programs, Imperio finds the most satisfaction in the creative freedom the kids get to experience in the programs. “It’s nice if they do… [learn things]… I just want them to have fun. Because not everything’s schoolwork. Annnnnd if they learn something in the meantime, good!”
Sandi Imperio can be found in her office in the Aptos branch library. One can donate to her programs at https://fscpl.org/donate/ – Aptos branch