Bloomsburg Public Library Internship Week 12

Week twelve of my internship in the marketing department of the Bloomsburg Public Library involved communication, research, and the importance of approaching community work with empathy and sensitivity. Although the projects I worked on this week were not as large or event-focused as my previous assignments, they still taught me a lot about the behind-the-scenes responsibilities that help a library stay connected to the people it serves. 

One unexpected task this week involved researching the family of a deceased woman so the library could send an acknowledgment letter for a donation made in her memory. To begin, I searched online for her obituary using her name, approximate location, and estimated date of death. Once I located the obituary, I carefully reviewed the list of surviving family members and cross-referenced those names with library patron information. After some searching, I was able to identify her daughter and locate the correct mailing address.

The task almost felt like investigative work, but it also reminded me how much care libraries put into maintaining personal relationships with their communities. Sending an acknowledgment may seem like a small gesture, but it can carry a lot of meaning for grieving families. It made me realize that libraries are not just places for books and events—they are also organizations built on community relationships, kindness, and recognition.

Another major project this week was designing a Mother’s Day graphic for the library. While the visual design itself was enjoyable, the wording of the message became the real challenge. I wanted the message to feel welcoming and thoughtful without unintentionally excluding or upsetting people who may have difficult feelings surrounding Mother’s Day.

As I worked on the wording, I tried to think carefully about all the different experiences people may have with the holiday. Some people have lost their mothers, some may be estranged from family members, and others may struggle with infertility or difficult family dynamics. I also wanted the message to recognize that motherhood can take many forms, including stepmothers, adoptive mothers, grandparents, foster parents, and honorary mother figures who provide care and support.

Because of this, I chose more general and inclusive language rather than focusing on one narrow definition of motherhood. Writing the message ended up taking much more thought than I expected because every phrase can carry different meanings depending on someone’s experiences. It showed me that communication, especially public communication, requires a balance between clarity, warmth, and sensitivity.

This week helped me understand that even small projects often involve much deeper consideration than people realize. Whether researching family information for an acknowledgment letter or carefully crafting a holiday message, the work required attention to detail and awareness of how actions and words affect others.

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