© Phillip J. Hall
Who am I?
I am a Librarian, a geek, a gamer and a cook. I am the Editor and a contributor to No Ordinary Obsession.
My Background
The greatest lessons I learned were outside the classroom. Most of these lessons were taught to me by classroom teachers and other professional educators. They are the true one percent. The people who can shape the world through ambition, pride and charity. They are truly good people, and I am lucky enough that two of them are my parents. They are my inspiration. I am a Librarian, an Educator, and most proudly a son. They are responsible for all three.
My work with teens
I am an Eagle Scout & I was a youth leader in the BSA. I started creating programs for teens there as part of my duties. I honed those skills with a federally funded summer education program called Upward Bound. I worked there for two summers as a residential councillor and tutor. I spent the next 5 years in retail before becoming a librarian. I was a training supervisor, Cafe supervisor and inventory supervisor. The majority of my staff were between the ages of 18 and 24. I interned at Patchogue-Medford in the Spring of 2011 in the Young Adult department. I started running programs monthly then, and I have ever since.
My Personal Mission
Empower Youth.
The pressures of youth are immense, and it is easy for them to feel crushed beneath the weight of their futures. It is my mission to provide for them an opportunity to discover their own interests and passions, so that they can navigate the many possibilities of life and navigate their mistakes. To accomplish this, I will support them without judgment. I will supply them with entertainment without monetary gain and knowledge of anything they choose to pursue. I will encourage them to believe fully in their own power and meet life’s challenges head on.
Empower Us All.
The odd thing about young people is that most people take them for granted, but youth culture is a huge influence on contemporary adult culture. They are the foundation of the establishment, not a threat to it. In order to raise ourselves up as a society, to continue our steady progress forward as a nation, we need to build them up and stop tearing them down. Because their attitude and culture is contagious. It influences adult contemporary culture more than we care to admit, and individual adults have a greater influence on individual youth then they care to admit.
Professional Associations and Development
Personal Projects
