I grew up in Florence, back in the olden days of the early 2000s. My parents took my brother and I religiously to the Scheben Branch when we were children, where we got our first taste of books. In doing so, they unknowingly started a lifelong obsession with the written page within me. Not sure what it did for my brother, but he read the Percy Jackson series so I think it rubbed off on him well enough.
By the time the Main Library was built, I was older, but I would still ask to come to the library well into my formative years. I only stopped when I reached high school, where everyone develops a distaste for books through all the assigned reading. Though, thankfully, it was rekindled when my family moved to Hebron. We were moving just as the Hebron Branch was finishing its construction, sitting like a crown on top of the hill it was built on. I passed it day in and day out, seeing it imperiously overlook the land below, and after a few months of this, I came to a single, startling conclusion. I wanted to work at the library.
I have worked for BCPL for a little over two years now. In the beginning, I was a circulation assistant at Hebron, where I learned the collection and the intricacies of library life. I saw the patrons and the repeat families, even learning when to expect people to pop in to sit at the computers for a while. It was a nice experience. It made me feel connected to the people there.
Thankfully, I’ve had my coworkers over these years. In that time, I can say I have met some of the best coworkers I’ve ever had. Never had I felt left behind, all because of their caring and enthusiastic desire to help their fellow employees. So, when I heard about a possible position change within the library, I was thrilled, though hesitant. I didn’t want to leave my beautiful Hebron Branch and leave my coworkers behind. But no one ever gets anywhere by being comfortable. Unfortunately.
So with some deliberation, I decided to take the leap and come to the Main Library, where I have remained until now. Still learning as I go, and enjoying every second of it.
While not working, I spend my time honing myself into a full time nerd. I play Dungeons and Dragons weekly, exploring fantastical worlds when I am not the one creating them. Soon, I’ll be DMing my own campaign, which my group has agreed to stream on YouTube in the coming year. We all think we have a shot at being good entertainers, if not possibly making hilarious fools of ourselves.
When I’m not rolling dice, I’m spending my weekends at the Renaissance Festival, dressed up as whatever fits the theme. I’ve gone as a Jester multiple times, but still need to polish my jokes. And when I’m not at the Festival or playing DnD, I usually have my nose buried in a book. Shocking, I know, and it’s even more shocking that it’s usually a fantasy book. Out of the 57 books I read in 2023, 33 of them were fantasy books.
And with my fervent love of fantasy has come an unending love of history. I mean, you can’t have a proper appreciation for the modern without a proper appreciation for the ancient. I’ve been very fortunate to have gone on many travels in my short life, and I hope to go on many more. My most recent trip is the one I would probably count as my best yet. My family of four took a trip through the Mediterranean, going from Rome to Greece and even a stop in Southern France. Seeing such ancient sights as the Coliseum and the ruins of Olympia, where the first Olympics were ever held, and then the melding of both ancient and modern in the cities of Malta, where a medieval fortress still stands tall, and Rome were life changing experiences, if you’ll pardon the dramatics.
I count myself lucky in many things. In my taste in books, in my many friends, in my coworkers, and in my travels, but most importantly, I count myself lucky in my choice of job. I could not have asked for a better institution to help serve than that of a public library. I am truly grateful to be here, and I do hope I can continue to do so for a long while.
