My name is Craig Lefteroff, Branch Manager at the Scheben Branch in Union. I am originally from a very small town in Mississippi. The nearest town you might recognize is Vicksburg. Allegedly, during the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant was battling his way across the South and decided that my part of the state was just “too beautiful to burn”. I’m skeptical about this tale, and if it even happened, it was probably because Grant was in “high spirits” that day, not because he liked swamps full of snakes so much.
Before I came into the world of libraries, I wanted to be a teacher, but teaching for a bit cured me of that ambition. I moved to Kentucky, where I worked for NCR and held accounting positions at hotels while earning my MLS. My first library job was working with periodicals and microfilm at Lexington Public Library. I’ve worked in libraries in West Virginia, Louisiana, Nebraska and Ohio.
My favorite thing about librarianship is helping people with unique requests. I helped someone apply for a patent for a new invention, assisted another in finding very specific medical care options for her family in Africa, and even helped TV show representatives determine if there was proof that a gar fish ate a person in Lake Pontchartrain (there is not). On the management side, I enjoy finding new talent and helping staff develop to move into more demanding roles.
My hobbies are pretty conventional. I like food (Indian is my favorite), music and reading. I mostly read older works, and my favorite authors are Thomas Hardy, Edith Wharton and William Blake. However, I’ve been trying to explore more contemporary authors and was very impressed by Mary Beth Keane’s Ask Again, Yes. I hope to spend more time bicycling and hiking in 2026, so if you have any favorite spots, please drop by the Scheben Branch and share your tips. I look forward to meeting you all!
