If you've visited the library since May, you may have already crossed paths with Hannah Gingrich, who joined our staff this spring as Adult Services Librarian. Read on to get to know her a little better.

I asked Hannah what she is most excited about in her new position “Ordering books and making resources available!,” She replied. “I like keeping tabs on what's new and part of our cultural conversation. I love finding the hidden gems and locally relevant works that make a library collection unique and perfectly suited for the community that uses it."

Hannah, who has worked in libraries since 2016, was drawn by what she calls the “intersection of all the things she likes”: lifelong learning, hospitality, cultural expression, and connecting people to information without judgement. She loves convincing people who don't think of themselves as “book people” that the library is here to serve them, too. She's also a go-to for tech help, comparing herself to “a trail guide on the Oregon Trail of the internet helping people arrive at their destination.”

Hannah has lots planned for adults this fall and beyond! In addition to monthly book clubs, cookbook club, and mah-jongg, you can have some fun at our new, monthly board game night on the first Wednesday of every month. In October, catch talks about the history of the Onondaga Nation, with Dr. Michael Oberg, on October 5; Women during Vietnam, with Nancy Lynch; and the history of the autopsy, with Dr. Mary Jumbelic, on October 19. And that's just the start—visit skanlibrary.org for everything else on the calendar.

Hannah is also leading our participation in the Sustainable Libraries Initiative's program Community Resilience through Small & Rural Libraries: Building Partnerships for Impact. We’re one of just 40 libraries nationwide, and 10 in New York State, selected to take part. Over the coming months, she'll be strengthening the library’s relationships with community organizations and developing a library-led community resilience project.

We’re thrilled to welcome Hannah to the team, and I hope you’ll say hello the next time you visit the library.