Meet A Member: Sarah Hutchinson

Circulation Supervisor
Shenandoah County Library

When did you first know that you wanted to be a librarian?
I started working at Central Rappahannock Regional Libraries when I was nineteen years old. It was a part-time job for me, but after a few years, it became my passion. I went back to school to finish my bachelor's degree at age 32, and during that time I realized that I would like to tailor my academic program to combine with my years of library experience and become a professional librarian.

What was your first library job?
I was a page; shelving books and retrieving periodicals from storage on demand.

What is your favorite part of librarianship?
Libraries welcome everyone. They help people learn, grow, get jobs, meet friends, make things, and be inspired. I love being a facilitator of all that.

What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you on the job?
I was pulling a full cart of books behind me and the wheel caught the hem of my pants and pull them right off! I was suddenly pants-free in the children's section of the library. A nice mom came over and pulled them up for me. It was all over in a flash, but BOY was I embarrassed. Funny now, but that day, it was NOT FUNNY.

If you could have anything in the universe installed in your office for your personal use, what would it be?
A hot tub.

What is something your colleagues would be surprised to know about you?
My colleagues know me pretty well. I'm an open book. But maybe they'd be surprised to know that when you add up 22 years of work, and before that, hours of browsing, homework, and story time visits, I have spent more time in a library than any other place on Earth (I did the math).

Interview conducted by Gregg Grunow.

Want to be featured on Meet A Member? E-mail Gregg at [email protected].
Don't miss our past Meet a Member features!