Mount Gilead Public Library (MGPL) Board President Tracy Smith is pleased and excited to introduce Will Staub as the new director of the library.
Staub comes to Mount Gilead from Clarion, Pennsylvania. He obtained his Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in library science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, with a minor in speech pathology.
Guests are likely to find Staub near the circulation desk answering questions or welcoming and chatting with a library patron. He wants to get to know people and sees the library as a place where people don’t just check out books but come together to meet with friends or gather for a program.
“The library is a central pillar of the community,” said Staub. “When people have questions about technology, the library is at the forefront.”
Research and visits to the library were a “way of life” in his home. His father was a professor at Clarion University and his mother an elementary teacher who worked with the Literary Council and was involved with projects with the children’s library department in Clarion.
His internship was with the college library science department at Clarion University, where he was responsible for the university’s ALA accreditation project. He also interned at Franklin, Pennsylvania’s public library.
He said Mount Gilead’s library feels very much like the libraries in Clarion and Franklin, where he has spent a lot of time. While their children’s programs are similar to those here, he said the adult reading programs and book clubs in Mount Gilead are something those other libraries didn’t have, and he’s happy to see them here.
Staub came to the library at the beginning of September, and he’s in the process of looking at the library’s policies and needs. He’s looking into possible programs for teens and homeschool students. He took classes in researching genealogy and was impressed with all the resources for studying genealogy in the MGPL annex.
Staub said he sees a librarian as a kind of “jack of all trades” who has knowledge and is familiar with many areas of interest and study for patrons. One of his favorite things is working with people who have questions.
“When you learn about patrons’ interests, you learn about them as well as learning about a subject yourself,” said Staub. “That’s something about libraries. You learn something new every day.”
Outside the library, he enjoys hiking, going to the gym, exploring new areas, cooking and reading.
Smith said Staub was chosen by the library board from a field of six or seven applicants. He said Staub talks with people easily, and the staff was also impressed as he chatted with them while he waited for his interview with the board.
“He impressed all the library board members with his positive attitude and eagerness to get to work,” said Smith. “We are very pleased he is part of our team.”
For more about the library’s programs and resources, the website is mglibrary.org.
Located at 41 E. High St., the library is open Monday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.