Clare – Library Associate

Worked for BPL Since: February 2017

Educational Background: Degree in Fashion Design from Nottingham Trent University UK

Favourite Books: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, the Jackson Brodie books by Kate Atkinson, Mindful Sketching by Peggy Dean and Yoga for Stiff Birds by Marion Deuchars.

Favourite Authors: Anne Tyler, Fredrick Backman, Jamie Oliver, Roald Dahl, Lauren Child

Family and Pets: We moved to St Louis from the UK in 2003 from the cathedral city of Lincoln. We have a dog called Daisy.

Hobbies and Interests: Yoga, reading, drawing, art journaling, Pilates, walking, hiking, being outdoors and cooking.




Gina – Library Director

Worked for BPL Since: September 2007

Educational Background: A B.A. in Language and Literature from Webster University, an MLS from UM-Columbia

Favorite Books:  Murderbot series by Martha Wells, Dory Fantasmagory series by Abby Hanlon, Sky Falling by Mia McKenzie, Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, and The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

Favorite Authors:  Ross Gay, Brene Brown, Kate DiCamillo, Becky Chambers, James McBride, and Sarah Waters (when, Sarah, when are you going to release a new one?).

Family and Pets:  I have one son and 2 dogs, Wheatley and Rudy. One is white and black and the other is black and white.

Hobbies and Interests:  Watching St. Louis City SC play, kicking the ball around with my son, walking my dogs, reading, doodling, puzzling, and buying stationary supplies.



Jane – Library Associate

Worked for BPL Since: 

Educational Background: 

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Ross – Library Associate

Worked for BPL Since: March 2024

Educational Background: Bachelor of Arts in International Economics.

Favorite Books: Mostly Victorian novels, especially the Bronte sisters, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy.

Family and Pets: Wonderful wife, 3 sons, two spectacular cats, and one pretty cute dog.

Hobbies and Interests: Tennis, basketball, antiques, reading, and watching classic movies.

 



Sam -Library Associate

Worked for BPL Since: February 2021

Educational Background: A B.A. in English, emphasis is creative writing from Webster University. Currently working toward an MLIS.

Favorite Books: The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov, The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, The Stranger by Albert Camus, Snow Day by Ezra Jack Keats, Axolotl by Julio Cortazar, The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God by Etgar Kerat.

Family and Pets:  Although I do not have any pets, I am currently housing 22 unicorns.

Hobbies and Interests: I am a fan of the subtle beauty of gothic and macabre art. While not particularly talented, I enjoy drawing pictures of mice, working on paper and metal arts, and collecting vintage umbrellas, coats, and purses. I excel in consuming stuffed crust pizza.

 



Sarah – Assistant Director and Youth Services Librarian

Worked for BPL Since: October 2018

Educational Background: B.S. in Sociology and a Master of Library Science from University of Illinois.

Favorite Books: I like reading across genres, but I’m typically drawn to non-fiction, graphic novels, and stories with dragons and too many characters. I read a lot of picture books, and really love anything by Greg Pizzoli, Jon Klassen, Vashti Harrison, Mac Barnett, and Oge Mora — just to name a few. I’m really digging audiobooks recently, and love using Libby and Hoopla to check out new materials.

Family and Pets:  My puppy, Marci, and my two cats, Foot Foot and Arlo. Or, as I like to call them, Moose, Princess Squish, and The Ungrateful One.

Hobbies and Interests: I’ve been learning how to build things with power tools, so naturally the first thing I built was a number of bridges and wall climbers for my cats. I also enjoy gardening, cooking, reading, walking dogs at the shelter, watching weird movies, and sharing silly Tik Tok videos with loved ones.

 



Susan- Head of Technical Services

Worked for BPL Since: 1997

Educational Background: Master of Library and Information Science from University of Illinois

Favorite Books: 

  • The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
  • Jane Eyre -Charlotte Bronte
  • Farewell in Splendor: The Passing of Queen Victoria and her Age – Jerrold M. Packard
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston
  • The Autobiography of Malcolm X
  • David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
  • The Complete Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle
  • The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien

Favorite Authors: Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, J.R.R. Tolkien, H.G.Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde, Paul Laurence Dunbar, P.C. Doherty, Stuart MacBride, Robert McCammon, and Barbara Hambly.

Family and Pets: I have a daughter, a dog, and a cat.

Hobbies and Interests: Reading, shopping, cooking, and learning new things.