FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Mary Ellen Reis Development and Outreach Coordinator St.

Johnsbury Athenaeum 1171 Main St. St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 Phone: 802-748-8291, ext. 306 Email: mreis@stjathenaeum.org Website: www.stjathenaeum.org Date: February 11, 2013 ST. JOHNSBURY ATHENAEUM ANNOUNCES YOUTH SERVICES LIBRIARIAN St. Johnsbury, Vermont St. Johnsbury Athenaeum Executive Director, Matthew Powers and the Board of Trustees are pleased to announce Mackenzie Ross as Youth Services Librarian. Mackenzie brings extensive experience in library services and educational programs for young children and young adults, states Matthew Powers, Executive Director. She has played an instrumental role in creating unique programs and public service projects for children, teens and their families. Ross was the former Special Projects and Circulation Volunteer for the Bent Northrop Memorial Library in Fairfield, VT. Prior to her move to Vermont, she served as the After-School Program Instructor at the Homeless Childrens Education Fund and as the Childrens Library Intern for the Whitehall Public Library. Both organizations are located in Pittsburgh, PA. At the Whitehall Public Library, Ross planned and executed the Library Olympics that integrated physical fitness, craft activities, and literacy. She attended a Kids+Creativity workshop that brought together several local organizations to discuss how to better engage youth in science, technology and the arts. At the Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire, she learned how to create youth-friendly projects, including paper robot calculators, life-sized mad-libs with pieces of whiteboard, and robots made with arts and crafts materials. She worked with several libraries and schools as a volunteer, event coordinator, conference mentor, editor, and after-school instructor. These include the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Franklin NW Supervisory Union and Franklin/Grand Isle Bookmobile, Red Cross Oregon Community Action, and Unbound: An Online Literacy Magazine. A passion of mine is to engage more youth in public service projects, says Ross. I have worked with volunteers for all ages: from elementary school to high school teens. I enjoy working with organizations that can help youth become more involved in their community and truly make a difference.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ross has a Master of Library Sciences degree from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Information Sciences and a Bachelor of the Arts from the University of Oregon. She received her Associate of Arts degree in Psychology from Mt. Hood Community College. She has also studied early childhood education with a specialization in childrens literature and literacy with Southwestern Oregon Community College. ###