Lorraine Santaliz loves her job. As a librarian for 25 years and the children’s librarian at Whitehall Township Public Library for 23 years, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

As the adult coordinator for the library’s Teen Advisory Board, Santaliz proactively encourages people of all ages not only to read but to explore the world through the magic of words. She started with TAB in 2002 and has worked with more than 200 teens through this program.

Santaliz keeps track of each student’s volunteer hours, and many students stay with the program throughout high school.

Teens meet monthly to create activities that coincide with a season, a tradition or a holiday that is approaching. Teens prepare for the events by researching books and media that correspond to the event, as well as choosing a project that represents the topic.

One recent project provided teens with ceramic skulls to decorate as sugar skulls, in honor of Day of the Dead — Día de los Muertos — which is a Mexican festival celebrated since the time of the Aztec empire. This cultural celebration is usually held Nov. 1 or 2.

Families spend some quality time gathered around the tombstones of relatives who have died. Small sugar skulls would be placed on the tombstones as part of the offerings to the deceased.

This is not a time to mourn but a time to celebrate the lives of the deceased. The sugar skulls and other decorations are brightly colored and festive, marking this as a happy event.

The library’s event was held Nov. 1.