Meet the Youth Services Staff!

Miss Elizabeth, Youth Services Department Head

Miss Elizabeth joined our staff in 2019. Before joining us, she worked in both Westchester and Connecticut, as a Youth Services Librarian. Prior to receiving her Masters in Library and Information Studies, she worked as library support staff for almost 10 years. She spends most of her time off playing tabletop board games with her husband, or reading J or YA books with their cats Alfredo & Asiago.

Her favorite imaginary creatures are caticorns and purrmaids.

Her favorite books include: Interrupting Chicken, Narwhal & Jelly, Junie B Jones, the Alice Series, Land of Stories, and any YA book by Sarah Dessen, Stacey Lee, or Neal Shusterman.

Youth Services Assistant Department Heads

Miss Jessica

Miss Jessica has worked at Finkelstein since 2010, starting as a Clerk before earning her Masters in Library Science. In addition to Finkelstein, she has worked in Orange County and Connecticut. She loves going to the theater and is a practiced singer. She spends her free time with her cats and rats, and little man.

Her hidden talent is that she can lick her elbow. Can you?

Her favorite books include: Madeline, Wolfie the Bunny, James and the Giant Peach, Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Fangirl, The Truth About Forever, and the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series.

Miss Dianne

Dianne joined the Finkelstein Youth Services team in 2019 with over 10 years of library experience in teen and adult services. She is enjoying the transition to youth services. In her spare time, she enjoys baking new flavors of scones, herb gardening, and reading science fiction, fantasy and mysteries. She has also become a bit of a birdwatcher, and now she can proudly identify the difference between a starling and a common grackle. Most of the time.

Her favorite books include The Last Unicorn, Stardust, Code Name Verity, Truly Devious series, Belles duology, Folk of the Air series, Throne of Glass series, Newford series, Ellen Kushner’s Riverside series, and Marvel 1602.

Youth Services Librarians

Miss Sue
Miss Sue joined our staff as a full-time librarian in 2019, after 11 years of working at the Finkelstein Memorial Library as a substitute librarian in Youth Services. Prior to joining us full-time, she worked as a public school librarian for 21 years in both New Jersey and New York. She of course can always be found with a book on her lap reading, when at home. She enjoys spending time with family and their pet dog, Maggie. When spring arrives, you will also find her busy in her flower and vegetable gardens.

Her favorite books are, “The Music of the Dolphins,” and “Out of the Dust” both by Karen Hesse. Her favorite storybook character is Pet the Cat.

Miss Jaimie
Miss Jaimie joined the Youth Services department in 2023, after four years as a Technology Librarian on Long Island, and is stoked to be working with teens! She grew up with a great love of reading/ performing arts and is happy to discuss her favorite Broadway shows any time. She also loves to bake cakes, hike, listen to true crime podcasts, play Legend of Zelda and Mario Kart, and go out dancing with friends. Her favorite clothes are her pajamas. And her black cat, Winifred, is the apple of her eye.

Her favorite books include: Truly Devious series; Ender’s Game; An Ember in the Ashes series; Ready Player One; The Hazel Wood series; and the Harry Potter series

Miss Carly
Miss Carly joined the Youth Services department as an Early Literacy Librarian in 2024. During her free time, she enjoys discovering new music, trying out (and forgetting about) new hobbies, cleaning up after her two cats, and attempting to read before bed. Before beginning at Finkelstein, Carly worked as an Elementary Library Media Specialist and Children’s Librarian in Westchester and Rockland. She (un)surprisingly prefers kids over adults.

Her favorite books include Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, The Folk of the Air Series by Holly Black, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, & (less seriously) any picture book by Jon Klassen or Mac Barnett.

Miss Liz (Part Time)
Miss Liz has worked at Finkelstein since 2007, where she started as a Full-Time Children’s Librarian. Before that, she was a NYC paralegal for 10 years before switching over into Librarianship, receiving a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the Palmer School at Long Island University. She loves nature, old-school punk and metal, spirituality and reading, mostly non-fiction books.

Her favorite books are: Understood Betsy, The Cricket in Times Square, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, the Little House on the Prairie series, and anything non-fiction (especially by Steve Sheinkin)

Youth Services Library Assistants

Miss Michelle Miss Michelle joined the Finkelstein Memorial Library staff in 2021. When not working, she enjoys hanging out with friends and family, as well as cooking, going to the movies, shopping (especially at Target), and traveling. Her favorite color is purple and she loves reality tv shows.

Her favorite animals are unicorns and hippopotamuses.

Her favorite books include the Divergent series, and her all time favorite book is The Outsiders (a true classic)!

Mister Mark
Mister Mark joined the Youth Services team in 2023 after working in Circulation Dept at the Finkelstein Memorial Library, for just over a year. When not at work, Mark enjoys researching and cooking new recipes, buying too many cookbooks, reading, and watching cheesy movies. His favorite things on the world are Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, and MST3K (not necessarily in that order).

His favorite books include non-fiction and graphic novels (especially Marvel titles).

Miss Isabelle (Part Time)
Miss Isabelle joined the Finkelstein staff in 2023. Before working here, she spent five years as a Programmer and Library Assistant in the Mid-Hudson System. When not at work or working on her masters, Isabelle enjoys spending time with her cat and dog, playing Dungeons and Dragons, working on her ever-growing vegetable garden, and making pickles and jams.

Her favorite books include: Color of my Words, Walk Two Moons, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World and Firekeeper’s Daughter.