The Dewey Decimal System tells how to find Greek authors in section 881 or books on modern physics in section 539, but the tricky part is learning how to use the numeric system used for categorizing books in libraries in the first place.

Bovina Elementary School librarian Marti Farrar has dedicated her life to not only teaching children how to find the books, but teaching them the joy and love of reading them.

In addition to the Dewey Decimal System, Farrar also teaches students about alphabetizing, different genres, reading fair projects and different English language arts standards.

Farrar didn’t originally plan to spend her days in the library; as she says, it actually happened by accident.

“I had six years in the classroom in Louisiana,” she said. “I was teaching in Tallulah and my husband was working here.”

When Farrar received a fateful call from her principal, who told her the school had over-hired kindergarten teachers, she made contact with the Vicksburg Warren School District.

“I was told there was an opening for library or sixth grade,” she said. “I chose library. I said, ‘If you give me the opportunity to try, I will do my best.’”

That was 21 years ago.

“There’s pros and cons to everything,” she said. “What I love about the library is I love reading to the children. I love seeing their eyes light up.”

Farrar said she enjoys opening the door for children to explore through reading.

“I get to work with all the kids,” she said. “Not just one or two grades, I get all ages.”

Farrar said she has always been an avid reader herself.

“I like them all,” she said. “I like a book that makes me laugh and cry and still a little bit mysterious. I like mysteries.”

When reading to children, Farrar said she enjoys reading anything they enjoy.

“They like Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones and the Wimpy Kid series,” she said. “Lately they’ve been picking out the James Pattersons.”

The students are excited because all the new books are on the shelves, Farrar said.

“I think if you instill a love of reading into children they will become lifelong readers,” she said. “To me, that’s my job. It’s my job to find what they like to read.”

When a child tells Farrar they don’t like to read, she tells them they just haven’t found what they like to read.

“Some of these children will never leave Vicksburg, Miss., but they can experience all that is out there right here through reading,” she said. “I love what I do.”