Updates on the Woman's Day article (scan):

1) 16Feb2005: This item about Anikó is now spotlighted at the top of Glendale Public Library's Home Page:

Librarian For A Day
Resident Featured in Woman's Day Magazine

Glendale resident Anikó Bartos and the Glendale Public Library are featured in the March 8, 2005, issue of Woman's Day magazine. Ms. Bartos submitted a winning essay in a contest sponsored by Woman's Day and the American Library Association. The article shows Ms. Bartos as she visits the Central Library as a "Librarian For A Day."

Her essay is titled: Soul Nourishment

Upon my arrival here in America, the local library was my window into the country I had left behind. I could scarcely believe that Hungarian-language books were mixed in among all those English volumes, but there they sat, smiling back at me from the bookshelves, saying, "Szia, Anikó! We have made the 6,000-mile journey, too! We are with you!" I immediately felt right at home.

When I was first introduced to my new library, everything was so impressive: the exotic Jacaranda trees on the lawn outside, the huge clock (with its four-foot hands) behind the reference desk, and the rows of computers available to any visitor. Back in Budapest, we had to pay a small fee just for the privilege of borrowing a book. But here, everything was free... even the videotaped movies!

Visiting a library is like entering an orchard with many trees: one can taste the fruits of history and art, science and music, along with great literature from dozens of cultures. While my children were growing up, I taught them that we could feed only our bodies with food--but our minds and souls must be nourished with books. I think it's important to let little ones understand what it means to become members of a library, so they can develop a hunger for learning and become more productive in our society. An old Hungarian proverb tells us: "Those who love books can't be bad people." Having access to so much accumulated wisdom is a precious opportunity for the younger generation.

Libraries are mind-expanding places; they safeguard the cradle of our knowledge and they open us to alternate paths. They freely offer specialized books that are sometimes too expensive to purchase, as well as featuring out-of-print works containing insight from our ancestors. Supplemental reading in my new library has immeasurably enriched the course of study for my degree program.

During these past five years, I have spent many happy hours browsing through the stacks. My interests quickly expanded from the Magyar section into most other areas. At the moment, several volumes of U.S. history are on my checkout list, so I can prepare for the upcoming citizenship test. I've come a long distance in a short time, and library books have been my good friends along the way.


2) 27Feb2005: The Los Angeles Daily News (Sunday edition) just published this piece:

Essayist stacks up to competition
Contest winner is librarian for a day
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer

GLENDALE -- When Aniko Bartos emigrated from Hungary in 2000, she found comfort and company in Hungarian-language books at the Glendale library.

So when Bartos decided to participate in a Women's Day magazine essay contest asking readers why they would like to spend a day working in a library, she had lots of positive experience to draw upon.

Little surprise then that Bartos was one of two winners among 500 participants in the contest. And the prize? Why, working for a day at the Glendale Central Library.

"They treated me like I was their queen," she said of her daylong stint in the stacks. "So I am very happy that I went back because it caused them happiness, and I received back happiness."

Bartos helped out with the library's computer club for seniors, an adult literacy class, a children's story-time session and at the reference desk.

Bartos' day at the library will be featured in the March 8 issue of Women's Day.

In Hungary, Bartos had volunteered at her local library, and she found a few differences between U.S. libraries and Hungarian ones. American libraries have more technology and they are free, while in Hungary patrons need to pay a small fee to be members.

Bartos' real job is working as an accountant at a casino, and she and her husband moved to Indio last year. But library officials were glad that she chose to come back to Glendale for a day, and encouraged her to consider a career change.

"We are hoping that we twisted her arm enough that she'll think about going to library school," said Nancy Hunt-Coffey, director of Glendale libraries.

Glendale libraries also get help from volunteers, who do everything from organizing book sales to fixing videotapes, Hunt-Coffey said. This year the library saw 358 volunteers log nearly 14,000 hours of service.

Bartos said her desire to spend a day at a library stems from a love of books. Librarians who work there every day find their own rewards for the job.

"A lot of the librarians really find the questions that they get really challenging and it's really engaging for them," Hunt-Coffey said. "When you work at the reference desk, you can get asked anything."


3) 27Feb2005: Maxima magazine is finishing up an interview with Anikó.

4) 2Mar2005: American Libraries magazine will feature a photo+caption in their April issue (p. 8).

5) 3Mar2005: The next quarterly issue of Glendale City Views newspaper will contain a piece.

6) 8Mar2005: Here's the original Woman's Day article (scan), from p. 112: Bookworms

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in a library? When we asked readers last March to tell us why they'd like to spend the day learning how to research, read to kids and stock shelves with great books, WD received more than 500 essays. Along with the American Library Association, WD offered Anikó J. Bartos and Lauri Hedman the chance to live their dream job for a day.

by Anne L. Fritz and Cari Wira

p. 113: anikó j. bartos
Glendale Central Library,
Glendale, California

Anikó J. Bartos owes much of her life to her local library. In 1996, she was living in Hungary and met her future husband, Alan, online. After a three-year courtship, they decided to marry in Glendale, California. Anikó was intent on improving her English, so she started going to Glendale Central Library, where, to her surprise, she found Hungarian-language books. She improved her English by reading thrillers by Ed McBain. To further increase her fluency, she headed back to the library to study for her associate's degree. And she recently passed her United States citizenship test, which—you guessed it—once again had her studying at the library.

Throughout her day as a librarian, she learned everything from how returned books are sorted to how to lead a computer club for seniors. And she loved every minute of it.

Anikó has more than proven the Hungarian proverb, "Those who love books can't be bad people."

p. 113, photo captions: Top, Anikó reads along with children and their parents during story hour. The library offers story hours not only in English, but in Spanish and Armenian as well. The book return drop is demystified, right. Anikó learned that the library borrows books from as far away as Australia. Below, she looks up a type of china with librarian Chuck Wike. Does this sign, below right, suggest a future at the library, perhaps?

7) 13Jul2005: Blikk, a 200K-circulation Hungarian magazine, just published a two-page layout (left scan, right scan).


Anikó's bio ~ back to WD article info


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