Jersey Take 5 with Linne Omissi, Children’s Librarian at Jersey Library
Tell us a little about you, your family & Jersey Library
My name is Linne Omissi and I am the Children’s Librarian at the Town Library. I am married to Dominic, who teaches at Hautlieu School, and we have three grown up sons: Adrastos, Cesare and Antiochus. Our boys have all moved away from Jersey, to England, Italy and Cambodia, respectively, so occasions (like Christmas) when we can all get together are very special.
Thanks to Adrastos and his lovely wife Chloe, we have two little grandsons, Leo and Milo, and a third one due sometime in February. Being a mum is the best thing I’ve ever done, and being a grandparent is absolutely marvellous. I read a comment recently in Cousins by Sally Vickers, that “being allowed to be of use is a privilege you only really appreciate when you become a grandparent.” I am happy to do anything with Leo and Milo (including changing horrible nappies) but obviously reading stories is my favourite “Nanny duty”.
Time spent with children is always well-spent, and books for children are marvellously varied and inventive. The Children’s Library was completely refurbished at the end of last year (thank you Santa!) and is now fresh and colourful and bursting with great books for all ages. We do story or rhyme times every day of the week, so I get to do lots of reading aloud, and singing, It is vitally important that children enjoy books and reading, as early engagement with literacy has such a positive effect on life chances, so we do our best to make the Library experience fun. Adults rarely do things just because they are good for them, so you can’t expect a child to want to read unless they think they will enjoy doing it.
1.What’s the sweetest thing a child has asked you?
As I make lots of visits to schools and nurseries, and we have lots of groups visiting us to find out about the Library, as well as the hundreds of children who take part in the Summer Reading Challenge each year, I see a LOT of children, and am recognised pretty much everywhere I go. I often hear little voices in the supermarket or on the street exclaiming: “Look, it’s the lady from the library!” It’s great to feel like a celebrity without having to make an idiot of myself in a house or a jungle — and I am amused by the confused look on parents faces when their children engage me in conversation in the check-out queue.
Obviously, this is also an enormous responsibility: if a child is excited to see you, then you must always be excited to see them too! I was in a garden centre a few years ago, and a small boy approached me. “You’re from the library” he said. “Yes, I am” I replied. “Can you help me? I’ve lost my Mummy!” Luckily Mummy wasn’t far away, but it was humbling to have that little boy trust that I could solve his problem for him just because he knew me from the Library.
2.Where’s your favourite family place in Jersey & why?
Apart from the Library, Durrell is the best family place in Jersey. We have been members since the boys were small (that’s a long time). There’s space to run and play, there’s somewhere to get food, and of course there’s lots of animals. Even though my sons are adults, we still enjoy a “zoo day” when they visit. There is long-standing family debate about whether gorillas are better than orang-utans, so we always have to spend ages watching both to make up our minds. Personally, I like the bats and reptiles the best.
3.What’s your favourite Jersey family memory?
Oh, goodness — that’s a hard question! Taking three boys round the castles, to a dolmen or through Rozel Woods was always an adventure, but it’s hard to identify any particular occasion out of many. Though we’re not generally a “beachy” family, the event that sticks in my mind most recently was a family picnic at Green Island with Leo and Milo on a surprisingly summery April day two years ago. Paddling in rock pools with small children is great fun, and as Green Island was my nearest beach when I was growing up, its lovely taking the newest generation to play there too.
4.Where’s the best Jersey place to escape to without kiddies?
I work every second Saturday and have a day off during the week. A day off in term time means I can go pretty much anywhere during school hours without seeing many children. La Hougue Bie is a wonderful place to go on a sunny day — explore the tomb, say a prayer in the chapel and then sit on the bench half way up the mound and enjoy the view. Life is so busy, it is vital to find time to just “be”.
5.Which 3 words sum up Jersey for you?
Family. History. Excellent Library Service (sorry, is that more than three?)
Final thought….If you could take 1 children’s book to a desert island, what would it be?
Can I cheat and take a series? I recently read the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy. The books are so fast, furious and funny that I know I missed a lot of important bits reading them in 15 minute slices at tea breaks. Being stuck on an island would give me the leisure to concentrate, and as there are a lot of books in the series and they’re rather thick, I would be able to wait quite a long time for someone to save me.
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