From time to time, the Russellville Public Library welcomes a new staff member into their workforce. This is an important process, and one that is not taken lightly by head librarian Ashlee Cummins.
She discussed how important it is to her that she chooses the right person for the job. New hires for the library need to be “good with computers, good with the community, good with children, organized, and excited about the services that the library has to offer,” according to Cummins.
Cummins went on to describe how the newest employee, Katie Gates, fits the bill for a perfect hire at the library.
“Katie is very friendly to everyone, and our patrons have reacted really nicely to her, and you really can’t ask for anything better than that. She’s really kinda the face of the library when you come in the door. Whereas some of us do some more behind the scenes types of stuff, she’s at the front desk and really interacting with the patrons and helping them with whatever they need, and she really excels at that,” she said.
Gates volunteered with the library for a time before being officially hired a couple of months ago. A nursing student at Northwest Shoals who lives in Tuscumbia with her sixteen year old daughter, Gates described
Working at a library is not for everyone, and Gates explained her reason for choosing the library as a place to work as a desire to help others, to meet and get to know many different people, and to help get children involved in reading.
“I love reading. I love kids, and I love helping people,” Gates said. “It’s been awesome. I just love meeting new people and just getting to know the patrons and working with the girls here has just been really wonderful,” she added.
As with any job, adjusting can be difficult. Moving from one workplace into another can be a large shift that can lead to a bit of initial shock or nervousness. Especially when in college, the changing of workplace is something that can take a bit of adjusting to.
Gates said that she was initially a bit nervous about starting her new job, but that within only a few minutes of her first day, she felt welcomed by her fellow employees and she has loved her job ever since.
Her job at the library isn’t a temporary endeavor for Gates, who she said that she plans to stay as she works her way through college.
While adjusting to a new job can be a source of stress, Gates seems to be having no trouble getting comfy with her position at the library. This is no doubt due to the warm welcome the pre-existing staff has given her and her enjoyment in working with the public, lending a helping hand to children and giving them some of their earliest experiences with reading, and getting to meet plenty of interesting people.
You can pay a visit to Gates, Cummins, or any of the other staff at the Russellville Public Library at 110 East Lawrence Street on Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 AM to 5 PM, and on Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM.
