Meet the Youth Department
Brea Fearon (left), Youth Services Librarian, joined the Chillicothe Public Library District (CPLD) team in Fall 2023. Brea grew up in Peoria and spent several years working as an elementary teacher at a Montessori school before moving to Urbana to pursue a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois.
Kaitlin Kline (right) joined CPLD this summer as the Programming Assistant. She grew up in Montana and has her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Montana. Prior to working at the library, she taught middle schoolers for several years and still thinks they are the funniest people to work with. She lives in Dunlap with her husband, their three cats, and far too many books.
School Outreach
Given their experience in schools, Brea and Kaitlin are well aware of how tirelessly educators work to support their students—which is why they are enthusiastic to partner with local schools to support their efforts! Teachers can request that a librarian visit their classroom to talk about books or online research, conduct book clubs, and more, and they can also request books, games, kits, and other resources to be delivered to their classroom. In addition, CPLD welcomes teachers to bring their classes on field trips to the library.
In-Library Youth Programming
In support of families, CPLD has free monthly after school craft, cooking, and STEM activities for young children, tweens, and teens. There will also be Half-day Hangouts on District 321 SIP days for ages eight and up. Check out the library calendar for details!
1000 Books before Kindergarten
If your child isn’t old enough to be going to school just yet, this fall CPLD is launching a 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program to set budding readers up for success. Studies have shown that reading with young children provides a great opportunity for bonding and prepares them for success in school and beyond. Any child ages 0-5 can participate in 1000 Books before Kindergarten at CPLD, with or without a library card.
Chillicothe Public Library is located at 430 N. Bradley Ave., Chillicothe, IL. For more information about the services and programs offered call 309-274-2719 or stop by the library and talk with a friendly staff member. Don’t hesitate to reach out—we love to hear from our community members!