by Zach Miller
Quick Summary
I recently met with Kitchigami's new director, Melissa Whatley, to get her first impressions of her new job and learn a bit about how she got there.
Why did you decide to become a librarian?
Libraries have always been important to me. I grew up in Hallsville, a small town in central Missouri. The library gave me the resources to expand my brain beyond the little town I grew up in. I really appreciate the passion of library patrons for the books and the information they are looking for. It's always been easy for me to connect with them. I appreciate the personal aspect of the library and I feel passionate about its mission to connect patrons with information and entertainment.
What have you learned about Kitchigami since you arrived?
It has been incredible and absolutely great to see how all the staff connect with their communities. We have larger locations as well as very small locations, and it has been amazing to see how important our libraries are to the communities they are in. Some even serve as impromptu historical societies. The library supports the social needs of its customers in addition to their information needs so it's understandable that the customer base really values the library. Outside the library, I am really excited by the natural setting of Bemidji. I can't wait to explore the whole area.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank for helping you reach this point in your career?
Aaron Eller is the regional branch manager at St. Charles City-County Library in Missouri, and was a mentor to me. He was my boss and was always a very good person to talk to. He'd tell me what happened at board meetings and introduced me to the way you really get work done in an organization by taking advantage of dotted lines and navigating the bureaucracy effectively. He helped me understand how the library really works. Shout-out to my former boss!
