Director, Uma Jolicoeur
You can call me: Uma
What drew you to work in libraries or this library district? My background is in book publishing and design, as well as teaching and organizing events, all of which lend themselves naturally to library work. I’m especially drawn to this district because rural libraries are such vital hubs for connection, creativity, and practical support. They’re also fantastic places to work because when you’re part of a small staff you have the opportunity to learn about and do a little bit of everything – I find that a fun challenge.
What is your role here, and what do you love about it?
Libraries can make a real difference in someone’s life, and as the new Director, I love being a steward of that for the community and for the future. On a day-to-day basis, getting to choose books for the Baca Grande branch, read and craft with kids, and interact with patrons brings a lot of creativity and joy to my days.
What’s your favorite thing about Saguache County/the SLV?
I love the dark skies, wide‑open spaces and down‑to‑earth people. As a native New Englander I’m also really grateful that, more than a hundred years ago, someone in the town of Saguache had the foresight to plant so many beautiful trees and build the ditches that keep them watered.
What’s a book that changed how you see the world (or one that’s stayed with you)? or What’s a favorite quote or line from a book you love? (people can answer one or both) and is there a children’s book you still love?
Reading Kerouac’s On the Road at 17 was huge for me, because suddenly I wasn’t alone with the restless, romantic way I saw the world – somewhere, somebody else hungered for adventure, and believed in treating life as a crazy, mixed-up spiritual quest. Between the novels of Jack Kerouac and the poems of Charles Bukowski I spent many years immersed in the words of people who challenged the status quo and radiated authenticity.
“What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.” ― Charles Bukowski
I’m still moved by the lessons about love and authenticity in Margery William’s The Velveteen Rabbit, and think the cottage in Mandy by Julie Edwards may have inspired my great love of fiixer-upper houses as an adult.
What does the library mean to you?
As Director, what the library means to me is closely tied to what I see it meaning to our patrons and community as a whole — it can mean a welcoming place to gather and learn, to use the computer or printer, to see friendly faces, to get help with technology or taxes, to let kids play, or to simply spend time someplace where you’re not expected to buy anything. Libraries are built on generosity and inclusivity, and those are values I feel good about contributing to in my professional life.
Collections Curator & Cataloging, Matt Pettigrew
You can call me: Matt
What drew you to work in libraries or this library district? I was a teacher for a short while and then I quickly realized that teaching wasn’t quite the right fit for me. After leaving teaching, I found myself hanging out in libraries quite a bit. At some point, I thought perhaps library work would be something I’d be interested in pursuing. I applied for a position or two and never heard back. Eventually, it was brought to my attention that volunteering in a library would help my chances of getting hired. It seems silly now that I never even thought of that! I did eventually land a job at the St. Petersburg Public Library after volunteering with them for several months and the rest is history. I’ve been working in public libraries for many years now including work in the following states: Florida, Oregon, North Carolina, and Colorado.
What is your role here, and what do you love about it? Purchasing, cataloging, technology support, customer service. I love helping to build the collection of materials for the library district. Also, getting to know our patrons’ interests and providing recommendations to them is rewarding as well.
What’s your favorite thing about Saguache County/the SLV? The quiet and the vast, wide open space.
What’s a book that changed how you see the world (or one that’s stayed with you)? or What’s a favorite quote or line from a book you love? (people can answer one or both) and is there a children’s book you still love? Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg is a great read. He believes that the future of democratic societies rests not simply on shared values but on shared spaces: the libraries, childcare centers, churches, and parks where crucial connections are formed.
Zoom by Estvan Banyai is a wonderful, wordless children’s book. It’s mind expanding! The power of books.
What does the library mean to you? For me, public libraries help to bind a community together by being a valued and reliable resource that is open to everyone.
What else should we have asked? Is it true that your telehealth booth also acts as a time machine, ala the TARDIS from Doctor Who? Well, if that were true, would I tell you?
Community Outreach Coordinator and Programming Director, Eden Elderberry
You can call me: I go by Eden, but I’ve been called AJ, Mom, Babe, Momma, sister and yo…just please don’t call me sweetheart.
Where are you coming to the library district from? I just moved into the area from near Dayton, Ohio. I was the director of an artist co-op called the Center for Universal Artisans and Humanities.
What’s your role with the library district? Where are we most likely to see you and what will you be doing? I am the Technical Services Guru, and I’m still discovering what that means, exactly! You will find me at the Saguache and Baca Grande branches helping patrons, promoting library events and services and organizing artists for the rotating show that will be beginning at the Baca Grande branch in September.
Favorite thing to do in the valley/area? I love hiking and discovering new places here in Colorado. My family and I also enjoy setting up at the local markets, meeting new people and learning about the area. I am excited to begin gardening next spring in this beautiful and interesting climate. I also hope to find a place to set up my art studio.
Book or movie recommendation? I don’t have a book recommendation, but I love anything written by Kurt Vonnegut or Chuck Palahniuk and my movie recommendation would probably be Fight Club.
Favorite literary genre? I typically read non-fiction books.
Fun fact about you? I’m studying to be a meditation teacher and my plan is to go to prisons and teach people to meditate.
Last book read? This isn’t very romantic but it was The Fifty Dollar and Up Underground House Book by Mike Ohler.
What’s your sign and do you fit the stereotype? Taurus and yes, I love food and am secretly lazy.
Do you love Woody Harrelson movies? Sure!
Visitor Experience Attendant Community Art Instructor, Vanessa Garcia
You can call me Vanessa. What drew me to work in the libraries was my desire to share my passion for Art with the community. I taught public middle school art in Texas for many years and wanted the opportunity to teach adults.
My role here is to welcome in and assist patrons whenever they need. I enjoy making them feel at home whether it’s making them a cup of coffee or just lending an ear. I absolutely love interacting and getting to know our patrons.
My favorite thing about Saguache County is the sense of a truly caring community.
There are so many great books so it’s hard to pick one favorite. I will say, however, I mostly enjoy reading historical fiction and nonfiction. One of my favorite children’s books was Bedtime For Frances by Russel Hoban. I loved the drawings which I tried to replicate as a child. It awakened not only my love for reading but also for drawing and art. It’s about a mischievous young badger named Frances who employs creative delaying tactics to postpone her bedtime. I loved it so much I used to read it to my kids who are now adults. It had such an impact on them as well that they named our Sheepadoodle, Frances, who is now 6 years old.
Libraries in general hold a very dear place in my heart. As a child it was a place of discovery, refuge and escape. My mother taught me how to read at a very young age and encouraged me to read by enrolling me in a book club. All through Kindergarten,every month I’d receive 2-3 hardback books in the mail just for me.
I am a wife, a mother, an artist and definitely a reader.
Visitor Experience Attendant, Renee Hazard
You can call me: Renee
What’s your role with the library district?
I work in the Saguache branch of the District. My role is to help patrons feel welcome and to have a fun positive experience in the library. I also encourage them to look into our new books, DVDs, and programs. Then, of course, if they have time, we visit and laugh.
Book recommendations- Fiction:
Man Made of Smoke by Alex North and Someone Knows by Vi Keeland are both excellent thrillers
Books recommendations- Non-Fiction:
The Wisdom of Psychopaths by Kevin Dutton and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. If possible, listen to Between the World and Me as it is read by the author and powerful.
Books someone said “you should read this,” and you did:
My kids recommended the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and I said ‘ok, fine.’ It really was not a genre for me. Carl and Doughnut hooked me and I have been impatiently waiting for FIVE months for the new book!
Favorite literary genre?
There are so many, I don’t want to choose one and have the others be sad they weren’t picked.
What questions SHOULD we have asked? (And their answers!)
Do you think once started, you have to finish the book/movie? Absolutely not!! There are too many good books and movies waiting for you.
How many books do you have in your Want to Read Fiction list? 115
How many books do you have in your Want to Read Non-Fiction list? 62
How many movies/series do you have in your Want to Watch list? 119
Branch Manager, Everett Wilson
You can call me: Everett
What drew you to work in libraries or this library district?I’m a writer, as Miguel de Cervantes defines it: if there’s a crumpled up piece of paper blowing down the street, a writer is the person chasing after it to read what it says. I’ve always been incredibly curious about what people are reading, and what they think about what they’ve read. How they were moved, what they learned.
What is your role here, and what do you love about it? My role here is to set up the structures that keep the library humming smoothly–staffing schedules and payroll, building maintenance, but to be honest what I most love about working here is helping people find what they need, and helping to organize programs that excite them. That’s what everything else I do is for–making the library an inviting and helpful place for people to find what they need.
What’s your favorite thing about Saguache County/the SLV? I grew up as a professor’s kid in rural Iowa. I hung out in libraries a lot–both the town library, and the campus library. And I grew up with a lot of kids who spent a lot of time baling hay and detasseling corn. If I forget to look at the mountains that ring in this valley as I leave the library to drive home, it almost feels like the home where I grew up.
What’s a book that changed how you see the world (or one that’s stayed with you)? or What’s a favorite quote or line from a book you love? (people can answer one or both) and is there a children’s book you still love? The Genjo Koan by the 13th century Japanese Zen master, Eihei Dogen, completely turned my life inside out. It’s only a few pages long, part of a much more massive book the Shobogenzo. But the line in it that still resonates deeply with me goes like this:
“Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken. Although its light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide. The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of water.”
And my favorite “children’s” book of all time is The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I discovered it as an adult, and it is one of the most profound books I’ve ever read.
What does the library mean to you? A library is a place where wisdom is stored, where people gather to seek it out, and most importantly share it with each other. Conversation is a crucial part of the process of seeking out that wisdom, and making it your own.
What else should we have asked? What is the meaning of life-the-universe-and-generally-everything?
