Co-Director, Amy Garoutte
You can call me: Amy
Where are you coming to the library district from? I’ve been in the valley for most of my life and in the Saguache community for ten years. I’ve spent time working as a CPA and a teacher but most recently I spent my time as a stay-at-home mom to my five-year old daughter.
What’s your role with the library district? Where are we most likely to see you and what will you be doing? You will find me in both the Saguache library as well as the Baca Grande library. I will be working hard to keep the administrative aspects of the library district up and running.
Favorite thing to do in the valley/area? I love spending time with my family. My husband, daughter and I enjoy hiking and playing outdoors. We also spend a lot of time with my mom and siblings who live in the southern part of the valley. We spend many weekends watching nieces and nephews play sports throughout the valley. I particularly enjoy camping or relaxing with my family and a good book near a lake or stream in the mountains west of Saguache.
Book or movie recommendation? Find your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World by Eve Rodsky. This is my go-to gift or recommendation for friends who have recently retired or are going through another change in their life and are looking for inspiration to develop or find new passions.
Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann – this book had me waking up early to see what would happen to this flawed family in a small Texas town. It’s a modern day take on the Greek myth of Orion.
Favorite literary genre? Literary Fiction
Fun fact about you? I like to sew and garden and cook.
Last book read? I’m currently reading Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton. It’s such a fun book that is a bit thriller-esque. The story takes place in New Zealand where environmental activists team up with an American billionaire to serve their own ends on another family’s property. Ideals and ideologies are tested at every turn.
Co-Director, Matt Pettigrew
Where are you coming to the library district from? I got my start working in libraries in St. Petersburg, Florida where I worked as a Library Assistant. Then, I moved to Portland, Oregon and worked at Multnomah County Library. During my 7 years working for the library in Portland, my roles included working as a Page, Clerk, and Library Assistant. After leaving Portland, I worked as a Library Assistant at a public library outside of Asheville, North Carolina. Upon leaving North Carolina, I landed in Crestone for about a year and eventually started working part-time at the Baca Grande Library in Crestone where I helped with the renovation of that location. I briefly moved up to Buena Vista to work at the Buena Vista Public Library before returning to a full-time position with the Northern Saguache County Library District.
What’s your role with the library district? Where are we most likely to see you and what will you be doing? My official title is District Manager, however I can see myself wearing many hats and contributing in the following ways: managing staff, customer service, materials processing, purchasing, programming. You are most likely to see me working at either the Crestone or Saguache branch, unless there is good food or live music involved. In that case, I’ll be there.
Favorite thing to do in the valley/area? Exploring all the beautiful areas that we are so blessed with here.
Book or movie recommendation? Book: Love and Other Pranks by Tony Vigorito.
Favorite literary genre? Non-fiction
Fun fact about you? I once went skydiving in New Zealand.
Last book read? Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
Collections Curator, Acquisitions, & Cataloging, Lisa Anne Emery
You can call me: Lisa Anne
Where are you coming to the library district from? I grew up in Saguache and moved back in May of 2021 after being gone since 1995. I have been living in Medford, Oregon for the past 10 years.
What’s your role with the library district? Where are we most likely to see you and what will you be doing? My role with the library includes helping visitors feel welcomed and assisting them with their questions. I enjoy helping patrons find books and other resources. I work two days a week in Saguache and two days in the Baca Grande. In the Saguache branch, you can often find me working in the Colorado room. It’s a dream come true to have an opportunity to explore all of our wonderful Colorado resources in our library.
Favorite thing to do in the valley/area? I love exploring the mountains with my husband and beekeeping with my dad.
Book or movie recommendation? I highly recommend the book, The Professor & The Mad Man, by Simon Winchester. It’s an amazing story about the making of the first Oxford English Dictionary. A great movie adaptation came out in 2019 with actors Mel Gibson and Sean Penn.
Favorite literary genre? I love history and non-fiction books.
Fun fact about you? I’m a self-taught graphic artist and built a gaming computer to render my fractal art.
Last book read? My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
Do you have any pets? We have three cats that we love very much: Tiggy, Bubba, & Nacho.
Where is the farthest you have traveled? My husband and I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Ireland in 2015. We can’t wait to go back someday.
Where is your favorite place in the world? Bandon, Oregon
Technical Services Guru and Community Outreach Coordinator, 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!
Acquisitions & Children’s Programs, Uma Jolicoeur
You can call me: Uma
Where are you coming to the library district from?
I most recently lived in Albuquerque, NM for eight years while first studying and then teaching at The Ayurvedic Institute, but I was born and raised in New England.
What’s your role with the library district? Where are we most likely to see you and what will you be doing?
My role is to assist patrons at the circulation desk – registering them for a library card, requesting a book through interlibrary loan, assisting them in making copies, or helping with basic computer needs.
Favorite thing to do in the valley/area?
Book or movie recommendation? Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer,
Favorite literary genre? I usually read non-fiction
Fun fact about you?
Last book read? Fire Monks, by Colleen Morton Busch, about the experience of the practitioners at Tassajara who choose to defend the monastery from a wildfire in 2021.