I think there are some misconceptions of librarians.

Of course, we don't always wear buns, or I do enjoy a good cardigan from time to time, but we're not always wearing that.

We're not shushing people.

As a matter of fact, most libraries these days are some of the most vibrant and lively places you'll be in.

So we do still have places for quiet reading and reflection and study.

I don't get to spend all my day reading.

I would love that.

But my day is very, very different from day to day.

So and very busy doing a variety of things.

People maybe don't understand the amount of knowledge, training, intention, thoughtfulness that librarians put into what we offer our community.

My name is Heather McCue.

I'm the Children and Teen Services Manager here at Richland Library.

One of the things I love about libraries is every day is different.

I know that's not everybody's cup of tea, but it certainly is mine.

So for my day, I might start off at one of our library locations and I might have baby storytime, and then I might go get ready for an adult author.

Or I might be having a conversation about race with adults in our community.

This is a great book because it's all about history.

I might be responding to virtual requests about, you know, tell me about this book and can I get sent to this library?

And so it's a varied day.

It's really different.

And I really enjoy all the different things that we get to tackle here at the library Granny sings scat.

Bitty-boppin' Baby goes rat-tat-tat I think one of the reasons I'm very passionate about children is that books have a power to change lives.

There's a quote from You've Got Mail.

I think it's Meg Ryan's character who owns the bookstore, and she talks about just how those stories make us who we are.

And I'm a deep believer in that.

To the point that I've seen people in their 70s and 80s come back to revisit those stories because they stay with you for so long.

And I think for children, the literature and the stories that we connect them with, it helps them decide who they are and also how the world is.

I also think books can remind us that we're not alone, that our stories might not exactly be shared the same exact story, but there's connection and connectedness between us, and we see children grow up.

I've gotten to see kids who started out in storytime who grow up and become volunteers.

Now we have a few who are entering librarianship, so that's really exciting to see.

But whether they become librarians or not, to be able to kind of help them and be part of their journey is incredibly special.

Libraries aren't just a place to check out books.

I mean, we love books and reading.

Of course, that will always be our bread and butter.

I've been in libraries long enough that I've seen us go from kind of a more traditional role.

How libraries are changing is the way that we are always growing to become more accessible and more inclusive.

We're seeing libraries take on different roles than we have in the past, like a career center.

If you suddenly find yourself, your job has been eliminated and you are finding yourself in the middle of a job search that you didn't expect.

Libraries can step in and we can support you to cheer you on.

Now we have a woodshop.

If you come to our beautiful Richland Library main location, you see a woodshop on our second level.

We have places where people can create.

There are also more necessary roles too.

We're very lucky.

We have a team of social workers on staff being able to do that, to be one more place that people can go.

And again, it's that idea that you don't have to pay a fee, you don't have to make it.

You know, you do need to make an appointment, but you can walk in.

I think that you get to come in and there's very little expectation of why you're there.

You get to come in under your own steam.

And this is everybody.

Children, teens, adults.

They get to come in and, you know, they might be there to check out a book.

They might be there to make a resume.

They might be there to create something in a woodshop, or check out something from a library things, or get seeds for their garden.

And the fact that we have so many resources and we can let people chart their own course and really empower them to do something different in their lives is really, really exciting.

And I think it's always exciting to the people that walk through the doors.

Yeah, I've seen a lot of moments where people have been just so impacted by a moment.

So being able to be part of that and support that and being able to, like, be one minuscule part of helping to bring that to the community is just it's very satisfying work.

And I feel, as I said, incredibly lucky.