The board of the Mount Gilead Public Library is pleased to announce that Melissa Kipp has been named as its new Library Director. In her role, Melissa will lead the way in helping the library accomplish its goal to for the library’s innovative programming, services, and collection development.
Melissa sees her role as the Library Director being not only about the library but also about its impact on the entire community. “The library goes beyond these four walls,” Melissa says. “Our library is a community hub, and working for the Mount Gilead Public Library fulfills a desire to use my skills and experience to add great value to our community.”
Melissa is no stranger to those who frequent the library, as she has been working there since 2015 when hired as an AmeriCorp Guiding Ohio Online Candidate.
Melissa’s love for libraries began many years ago.
While earning two Bachelors Degrees at Miami University, she worked at King Library for four years. She then went on to work at the Marysville Library until 2014 when she moved to rural Mount Gilead with her husband, Justin, and sons Collin and Cody.
Thus far, her favorite part about working at the library has been, “connecting with people by helping them to find their favorite book, teaching technology skills with Tech Time with Melissa, helping kids learn STEM with STEAM Punks, and reading to little ones during Story Time with Miss Melissa.
“I have worked with babies, elderly and every stage in between and enjoy making a difference one person at a time.” Melissa added. “In this day, we need to think outside the box for how to connect with our patrons. What we offer programming- and content-wise, cannot be the same as it was ten or 20 years ago. A library is no longer a place where you will be “shushed”! It’s a place where you can learn the newest technology to read, learn to code or pick up a new release.”
Melissa is driven by her conviction that libraries are pivotal components of thriving communities, and looks forward to working with existing patrons, prospective patrons, and businesses to foster a wide range of meaningful partnerships. She has fond memories of different libraries throughout her lifetime and knows that an investment in the library system is a “sound and worthy investments in our community and its residents.”
“The board had an easy decision in naming Melissa as Director,” said Mary Siegfried, president of the Mount Gilead Library Board of Trustees. “She has been an asset to our library and I’m certain she will continue to do great things. We look forward to seeing the positive changes she has in store for us.”
Former Director Mike Kirk is currently serving as the Director at the Galion Public Library.
The library, located at 41 East High Street., is open Monday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays.