Meet the Staff: Kevin!

Our latest staff profile is of Kevin, who you will recognize if you've ever been to the second floor of the Central Library. “I'm Kevin. First and foremost, I work at the reference desk answering questions for library users, trouble shooting computers, helping people find books, and suggesting books to people who aren't sure what they want. I speak Spanish, so I often help Spanish-speaking patrons. I also select books for the Library in Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Chinese. I find it fascinating to see what's being published in other countries.

"In the past couple of years I've co-written some grants for special projects. One of these a StoryCorps grant, and SPL was one of just ten libraries in the U.S. selected for a pilot project for StoryCorps in public libraries. It was really interesting and moving to listen to the various people who came to the Library with stories they wanted to share. I also helped the Library get an ALA/NEH grant to do programming on Islamic history and culture. I learned so much. My favorite event in that series was definitely our interfaith panel discussion. A Protestant minister, the former Imam of Boston, and a rabbi talked about the similarities and differences of their faiths. I never would have thought hearing an imam and a rabbi joking together would make me laugh so much.

"In addition to my other duties I work in the cataloging department one morning a week and that's really cool because I love books and I get to see every one that comes into the Library. "I'm also in charge of the local history room, which is a real privilege because Somerville has such a rich and quirky history. George Washington and Marshmallow Fluff - who can beat that? "In my spare time I read, do yoga, cook, spend time with friends, and review books for the Christian Science Monitor.