New Library Assistant

Tansy Velush

Britta Bowman standing in front of library display

If you have been visiting the library lately you may have noticed a new face checking out books and helping out students: Britta Bowman, the new library assistant. She helps out in the library, assisting students in finding books, checking out books, assisting students in any other ways they may need, as well as serving the community. 

“I have always liked books,” Assistant Librarian Bowman said. “When I was little, everybody in my family were big readers, so I would find if we were together as a family, that nobody would talk to me because they were all reading, so  I [knew I] better start reading a book.” 

 Bowman also  loves helping people and the library gives her a space to do this. 

“My favorite part about my job is probably interacting with the students and helping them find a book that they’re looking for,” Bowman said. “It’s nice to be surrounded by books of all kinds, especially genres that I’m not familiar with.”

This isn’t Bowman’s s first time working in the library. She worked at Salmon Bay K-8 for six years before her non-library job switched from three-quarters to part time, and  it was then that she happened to see the job listing for BHS . When asked how her job differs from her previous one at Salmon Bay, Bowman was contemplative.

“It’s much less stressful. I guess the things that I liked about my job at Salmon Bay are working with students and helping people,” Bowman said. “Those things exist here, so it’s kind of the best of what I had at Salmon Bay is here too.”

Instead of working with younger students at salmon bay, she finds it easier to work with the high school students here at Ballard.

“Having come from K-eight schools, it’s nice to work with students that are older and a little more mature, and a little less needy,” Bowman said. “The teachers and staff that I’ve met have been really friendly and helpful.”

Overall Bowman’s favorite genre is somewhere between mystery and horror, Stephen King books and others that are similar. However, her favorite book,Mandy by Julie Andrews takes a lighter tone. Mandy is about a 10 year old orphan girl who dreams of having her own house. Through all of the seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter, Mandy works to make the cottage truly hers. 

“She makes this cottage her own and then ends up getting sick,” Bowman said. “They find her in this cottage, and the people who end up owning the cottage are  this wealthy family that ends up adopting her. So it’s very sweet.”

This is not the first time that Britta and her family have been involved with BHS.

“My daughter went to Ballard high school.” Bowman said. “I was involved in the school when she was here.”

The feeling of helping students and being constantly around books aren’t the only things you gain from being a librarian.

“Spending time with these books has kind of opened up my eyes in regards to how many books and different kinds of books there are,” Bowman said. “I really appreciate the fact that there’s just such a wide variety of books that appeal to so many different people.”

There is more to being a librarian than reading and liking books, and wanting to be around books all the time.

 “I would say you want to be able to work with students,” Bowman said. “Enjoy helping people, be flexible.”

The school offers a variety of clubs and programs , but Bowman has not yet had the time to explore them fully or directly.

“I am not that familiar with them,” Bowman said. “I appreciate the depth and variety of clubs that there are, but I don’t have firsthand experience with a lot of the clubs directly, but maybe that’ll change.”

If you are ever in the library or even around it you can drop in and say hi. If you ever need help finding a good book to read or are looking for a specific book, make sure to ask the librarians for help. Bowman enjoys helping students, and you could benefit from her help.