Heather Gloster
Youth Services Librarian
Prince George Public Library
Age: 32
Heather Gloster is the Acting Children’s Librarian at the Prince George Public Library and will resume her role as Teen Librarian in July. In 2015, she won the British Columbia Library Association’s Young Adult and Children’s Services award, a provincial honor that recognizes exceptional service in children’s or teen librarianship in British Columbia. She received this award in part for her unique creative writing program at the Prince George Youth Custody Centre. This program introduced incarcerated youth to the writing and editing process, including writing rap, hip-hop and slam poetry lyrics that the youths read and performed. She not only provided reading material but a positive connection to an outside public facility. Many children continue to connect with Heather at the library following their release. Additionally, Heather created a program with Ron Brent Elementary in 2017, encouraging students to meet reading goals. Over 200 children visited the library recently to celebrate their accomplishment in achieving their school-wide goal. She engages Prince George youth through the Library’s Youth Advisory Board, the Queer Straight Alliance, and such creative programs as the Job Chats for Teens, Mini Fan-Con, Coding for Girls, Nerf Tag and more. Heather is also a board member of the Prince George & District Community Arts Council.
Heather has developed a robust suite of programs directed at the “double digits” age group (ages 10-12). Heather is a regular contributor to YAACING, a quarterly newsletter for children and teen librarians in BC. Her articles highlight the unique and creative teen programs at the Prince George Public Library and help to put Prince George on the map in the public library world.
Heather has also had some international student experience, spending one term in Tecnologico de Monterrey and two terms in the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. She was also a Rotary Youth Exchange student to The Netherlands in 2003-2004. Heather is an excellent representative of the enthusiastic, talented, and innovative young leaders in Prince George.
Presented by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce
