Say hello to Middleburg library’s new branch manager
T
Tina Reid, Middleburg Library’s new branch manager.
By Ronen Feldman
ina Reid has perhaps traveled more as a librarian than most people ever do, which is why relocating to Silver Spring and starting her new position in Middleburg, long as that drive may be, is nevertheless a welcome change of pace. Tina hasn’t just worked as a librarian, she served as one. Before moving to the DMV area she spent three and a half years as a military librarian, and it wasn’t in Texas or Georgia either. Try 14 time zones to the east. Along with her husband and their two sons, the time the Reids spent in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa occasionally felt like a drawn-out vacation, but mostly like a training in perseverance. It was that experience working in a military library that made her realize librarians and library staff anywhere share a common goal: to connect customers to information and resources, and while the library needs of a Marine or Sailor could be different than those of a Loudoun County resident, her role is still the same. When Tina returned to the U.S. she was struck by how frustrated people were by anything related to customer service. “It’s important that we make sure library goers are treated the way we’d like to be treated ourselves, and that’s just the first step,” she said. “We need to make sure our teen center is more teen friendly, represent the library in public events, collaborate with other
organizations as much as possible and generally encourage people to go to the library more often.” Tina believes a library should be an extension of the community it’s in, and has a greater value to it than people expect. Her experience with different people and their needs speaks for itself, and she’s certain there’s something the library can do for everyone. “Very few people know the library has many resources for adults as well as for children and teenagers, and I want to change that.” People with a library card have free access to resources like LinkedIn learning courses through the library system, as well as resume building tools and more. In addition to providing connections to books and research and providing library programming, Tina wants to help connect citizens to other community resources such as the Health Department, Loudoun County small businesses, and others. She also hopes to strengthen the connection the community has with the library to make it the hub of Middleburg. Other plans for future engagements in the library include reading programs for children, language classes by community members who speak English as a second language, DIY programs, guest musicians for the reading programs and more summer activities for children and teenagers. Tina knows she’s new to a tight-knit community, and hopes her commitment and hard-working mentality, along with her passion for libraries will inspire Middleburg residents to make use of what the library has to offer.
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MIDDLEBURG SUSTAINABLE COMMITTEE| Holiday 2023
