The newest Faculty Senate member surrounds herself daily with many of your childhood friends.

She hangs with Curious George, checks in with Dr. Seuss and plays with Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Ann Brownson loves her job.

An education librarian, Brownson works in the Ballenger Teachers’ Center of Booth Library, which is the room where stuffed animals sit on the bookshelves and a Blue’s Clues poster hangs on the wall.

Brownson, who is also the adviser for the Sigma Kappa sorority, was unanimously inducted into the senate Tuesday.

But like many faculty, the aspect she likes most about her job is the interaction with co-workers and students.

“Hmm, Artemus Fowl? I haven’t read Artemus Fowl,” Brownson said to a student as she scanned the Eoin Colfer book for rental.

“I’m almost done with the first one,” the student said. “They’re really good.”

“They’re good? I’ll have to read those,” Brownson asks as the student nods her head.

“It’s like Harry Potter,” replies the student.

“Yeah, I thought it was,” said Brownson as she handed back the book. “There’s a new series called the ‘Spider Whip Chronicles,'” they are a little bit of a younger group … but I got two of them and they were gone.”

Brownson will complete the term vacated by the late Dr. Luis Clay-Mendez’s, which ends spring 2004. Eligible candidates were selected by looking at candidates from previous years who did not win.

“Traditionally the Booth Library faculty are very much involved in faculty issues,” Senate Chair David Carpenter said.

Brownson is also a member of the University Judicial Board. She ran for the senate in spring 2002, and was the highest non-elected vote getter.

Brownson has worked at Eastern for six years. Previously, she worked in student affairs at two colleges, but Brownson wanted to experience the academic side of dealing with students. She earned a library degree at the University of Iowa, then took a job at the Rock Island Public Library.

“My job is never boring, I always have something new,” Brownson said. “I work with students. I work with faculty. I get to buy kid’s books.”

One co-worker said Brownson is outgoing, but has the personality to blend with the senate.

“She relates well to children, adolescents, all the way up to the parents,” said Lois Dickenson, the government information specialist for Booth.

Yes, Brownson has read all the Harry Potter books, and youth literature and children’s books dominate her night stand, but she wants to make one thing clear.

“Librarians don’t spend all their time reading, OK?” she said.