Clearly excited about her new assignment as the librarian of the New York Public Library's branch on Roosevelt Island, Laura Sutherland calls to mind a breath of fresh air – she is full of promise and passion.

"I want everyone to share my love of books," said the sometimes-bespectacled 28-year-old.  "I hated returning library books when I was a child myself because I wanted to keep all of them. Thankfully, I have not encountered another child like me since I became a librarian."

A children's librarian, Laura, 28, moved to New York from London, Ontario, four years ago. After graduating from the University of Western Ontario with a specialization in library science, she worked in the children's room at the Staten Island Branch for two years. At the Webster Branch on the East side, Laura chose to work in the children's section and then transferred to the St. Agnes Branch on the West side.

Laura decided to come to Roosevelt Island because of the opportunities here. "I could see that I could work with the children in the community. I had worked on CLASP, an outreach program aimed at connecting libraries with schools, and I plan to apply that experience here," said Laura.

Special programs for toddlers and preschoolers are in the works. "We'll have interactive book readings and rhyme sessions for the young ones.  The idea is to foster a love of learning and get them to love being in the library," she said.  She is restarting the book discussion group at the library, with the first one scheduled for February 28.  Electronic resources are to be upgraded so that more people can access them free from home.  "The aim is to ensure that everybody can use the material we have and the use goes up," said Laura. "It never hurts to read and there is so much out there.  No one should apologize for their taste.  They should just read."

How does she plan to solve the discipline problem at the library that some patrons complain about?  "Being a youth librarian, I think I am more tolerant than other librarians, but I will make it clear to the young adults that certain behavior is acceptable at the library while rowdy behavior is not.  I love having kids in the library, but behavior that disturbs others will have to be dealt with swiftly."