Library welcomes new director
By Stephen Clearheart Johnson
North Forty News
"Her enthusiasm is contagious," said Judy Viola, president of the Red
Feather Mountain Library District.
"She is so warm and comfortable, a people person," said Karen Deane of
the library's search committee. "I thought she would fit our community
very well."
With such accolades, Sherry Mooers easily topped 25 other applicants to
be selected as the new director of the Red Feather Lakes Community Library.
When Mooers first saw the job listing on her computer, she immediately
Googled Red Feather and was taken by the mountain splendor, a landscape
totally unlike her Mississippi roots where her mother, brother and a daughter
all lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina. She applied immediately.
"I love it!" said Mooers. "It is beautiful, and the people are wonderful.
It's like stepping into a dream."
Mooers has seven years of experience as a librarian and a teacher in a
Mississippi high school. She earned her master of library science degree
from Kent State. She also had prior experience as a social worker and Red
Cross volunteer. She recently held a library internship at the Smithsonian
Institute.
In 2007, she was named Teacher of the Year by her high school and was awarded
the title Librarian of the Year from the Mississippi Library Association.
With this background, said Viola, "she has great strengths in grant writing,
budgets and volunteer coordination."
Mooers said she wants to learn more about the community before introducing
any major innovations. Yet, after only three days on the job, she was beginning
to focus on ways to encourage more participation by teenagers.
"We want to pull in more people, especially teens," she said.
At a reception for her held recently at the library, Mooers was presented
with a newly published portfolio of library history, photos, statistics
and narrative prepared by the Friends of the Library. They have entered
a contest to win the title of Best Small Library and a $15,000 grant from
The Library Journal
|
