Five Oak Park teenagers spent the summer getting paid to sort books, fix plumbing, and help neighbors use Makery equipment. They're the latest cohort in the Oak Park Public Library's teen internship program, now in its fifth year.

The interns worked from mid-June through July across three library departments, according to a profile published Thursday, July 30, on the library's website.

Seth Hazarian and Amaka Uzokwe handled Materials Handling. Alpha Pare and Giovanni Uzokwe staffed the Main Library Creative Studio on the third floor. Chawn Anderson worked in Facilities.

Each teen completed a job readiness series in spring 2026 before applying and interviewing for the positions.

The program is showing long-term results. Former intern Kiara Behensky was hired as a library staff member in summer 2026 while attending college.

She plans to pursue a Master of Library and Information Science degree after graduating. Behensky said the internship confirmed that working in a library professionally is something she wants to do, and that the hands-on experience gave her a taste of the career.

Latonia Jackson, the library's Middle and High School Services Manager, oversees the internship. She said the program builds confidence, skills, and pathways to future careers.

Anderson, who graduated high school in May 2026, is headed to Southern Illinois University in fall 2026 to study cybersecurity. A returning intern from previous summers, his Facilities duties this year included painting walls, fixing plumbing, cleaning HVAC filters, and ferrying bins of books between the Main Library and the Dole and Maze branches. He also worked in facilities for a Chicago law firm through a high school work-study program.

"I never got on a ladder as much until here," Anderson said of the library gig.

In the Creative Studio, supervisor John Gargiulo, Supervising Librarian of Creative Technology, said Pare and Giovanni Uzokwe learned quickly how to help patrons with Makery equipment during busy summer drop-in hours.

Pare, who will be a high school sophomore in fall 2026, said he applied because his friends were applying and he wanted to learn new skills. His favorite project: making stickers. His biggest challenge: the sewing machine.

Amaka Uzokwe, who interned in Materials Handling, said she hopes the experience helps her land future jobs. She wants to go into nursing or hospital administration.

Teens interested in library career-readiness programming can sign up for the Beyond the Books Co-Ed Mentor Program, which begins Monday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m. at the Main Library. The library also offers a monthly Middle & High Schoolers email newsletter with updates on college and career programs.