Hi All! My name is Gabi Richardson and I am the Public Service Librarian at Walton. I cannot express the excitement I feel for the opening of the new Walton Branch at the end of this month. It feels like not too long ago, I was a young girl, always having her nose in a book, going on adventures alongside beloved fictional characters, and having a desire to help and teach others. I feel incredibly grateful to be part of this fantastic and dedicated Walton team. I cannot wait to begin serving and building relationships with this amazing community.
Besides serving my community, the thing I love most about working for BCPL is the fantastic people you get to meet and work alongside. I have never met as many kind, creative, hilarious, and hardworking people as I have during my time at BCPL. It only helps to make the work more enjoyable and fulfilling. The creativity, lifelong learning, and ability to help and contribute positively to my community and the profession are what I love most about this job.
I was born on the West Side of Cincinnati before moving to the Northern Kentucky area right before I started Preschool. My family, comprised of my parents, an older brother, and our dog, settled in the Union area, just minutes from the Scheben Branch. Through my weekly visits to BCPL libraries, and later volunteering as a teenager at the Scheben Branch from 2014-2016, my love of the library, books, and reading and a desire to work in libraries began. These libraries have helped shape my professional and personal values and aspirations and later helped inspire my career.
A few of you may remember me from my time as a Circulation Assistant at Scheben from October 2022 to March 2024. Prior to this, I received my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education in May 2021. I had long debated being a school or public librarian, and when I discovered that BCPL was hiring, it felt like a sign. It only took a few months of working at Scheben that the choice became clear, and I applied to begin my MLIS degree in June 2023.
I am forever grateful for my time at Scheben, the colleagues I worked with, and the role it played in my decision to attend LSU Graduate School, where I received my MLIS this past June. I also have to shout out and thank my mama for helping to instill in me a love of books and learning. From always taking the time to read to me and my brother to taking us to the libraries as often as we wanted and always making sure we had as many books as our hearts desired. She has been my biggest cheerleader, and I could not have asked for a better mom, role model, and best friend.
When I am not at work, I enjoy reading (no surprise there), baking, crafting, specifically embroidery, and spending time with my loved ones. I will never stop talking about books, animals, and history. I am always working on a new embroidery project or teaching myself a new crafty skill/hobby. It is only fitting I end this by mentioning my two dogs, Linkin and Brewer. Linkin is my 6-year-old German Shepherd, and Brewer is my 3-year-old Black Lab. They are such a funny, adorable doggie duo, and I love them endlessly.
