Meet the librarians: Fresh and familiar faces step into new roles at public library

LACONIA — The staff changes at the Laconia Public Library this spring and summer include both familiar faces, who bring to new roles their deep knowledge of the community and the libraries’ workings, and new faces, who bring to the library fresh eyes and an eagerness to better the community. 

A new director

Deann Hunter, who has worked at LPL since 2003, took over for Randy Brough as library director. Hunter is from Pennsylvania, but got her first jobs as a library technician working part-time at the Pillsbury Free Library in Warner and Hall Memorial Library in Northfield. She took her first full-time position at LPL in 2003 and, after earning her degree in library science, became a librarian in 2004. 

Hunter, whose undergraduate degree is in English, did not know she wanted to be a librarian until she started working at a library. It was during a conversation with Hall’s veteran librarian Mary Ahlgren when she realized she found that career path appealing.

“It was a lightbulb moment; I realized ‘I might really enjoy doing this,’” Hunter said. 

During her time as a librarian at LPL, Hunter worked in adult services and the reference department. She brings nearly 20 years of experience at LPL to her new role as director. 

“I really enjoy the Laconia community, and I feel like I’ve learned so much about our patrons,” Hunter said. “I love that I feel like I know so many of the people who come through the doors.”

Her favorite books of all time are the “Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck and Robert Lawson’s “Ferdinand.”

Sharing an early love of reading

Jamie Dalton is the new head children’s librarian, but she is by no means a new face: Dalton started working at Laconia Public Library at age 15. “I was a page, one of the people who put books away,” she said.

Dalton, who grew up in Belmont, only left the library for a three-year period between 2017 and 2020. A desire to try something new, but to continue working with children, brought Dalton to work in schools. She returned to LPL in March 2020. 

“When the position opened up in February 2022, I leapt into it,” Dalton said. She said she enjoys work as a librarian because, in addition to her lifelong love of books, she thrives on getting to meet people from all walks of life every day.

In her role as children’s librarian, she is excited to reenergize the children’s room, which saw a drop in attendance during the pandemic. The children’s room puts on crafting, toy brick workshops, and performance nights on Wednesdays to help bring faces in the door.

Once you get people in the door, Dalton said, they tend to stick around. 

“[Childhood] is where the love of reading starts,” Dalton said. “I want to see a library card in the hand of every kid in Laconia.” 

Her favorite book of all time is Roald Dahl’s "Matilda", because though she grew up with a happy family, she relates to Matilda’s quiet, bookish nature. The children’s book she is recommending the most this summer is "Chez Bob" by Bob Shea, a book about an alligator who sets a restaurantesque trap for his prey, but ends up befriending them instead. Though, Dalton notes, not every children’s book has to have a lesson, this one teaches readers that friends can come from the most unexpected places.

New adult programming initiatives

Sarah Frost is the new adult services librarian. Frost grew up in southern Maine and in the Carolinas; she moved to the Lakes Region with her husband and daughter 15 years ago. Frost began working part-time at Belmont Public Library in 2015 before becoming their full-time reference librarian. Before her work in Belmont, Frost had an administrative support role at Lakes Region Community College. In 2020, Frost earned a master's degree in library science from Clarion University.

The opening at Laconia “was both a fit for me professionally and an opportunity to embark on a career using my new degree,” Frost said in an email. Frost was also already acquainted with some of the staff at Laconia. “I knew that they were professional and highly dedicated,” she said. “That was a huge draw for me.”

As adult services librarian, Frost is especially excited about collection development and will take the adult non-fiction section under her charge. She will also lead much of the adult library programming and is open to suggestions from patrons about what they would most like to see. Some initiatives she would like to pursue are an adult non-fiction book club and digitization of some of the library’s historical information and photos to make them more accessible.

When it comes to her personal favorite book, “I tend to read based on my mood so I have many favorites,” Frost said. “The most important thing is that you are reading something that you find interesting or that brings you pleasure.”

From educator to the children's department

Carly Roy is a new library technician in the children’s department. Roy graduated with a degree in early childhood studies from Plymouth State University, where she then worked teaching children, and teaching college students how to teach children.

Roy decided to transition to library work. “I’ve always been interested in the literature part of my job, and thought that library work might align with my passion,” Roy said. A friend let her know about the opening at the Laconia library and Roy took the chance to try something new. Though this is her first library job, Roy brings both a lifelong love of books and a deep technical knowledge of childhood education to her position.

Additionally, though Roy is a new face at the library, she knows the local community well. She was born and raised in Gilford and has close ties to people in Laconia.

“I’ve had a foot in Laconia and Gilford all my life,” Roy said.  

Stepping into library work seemed like a natural fit for Roy. Her mother, who worked in the Gilford School District, also started as an early childhood teacher before becoming a librarian. 

Roy’s favorite book, and has been since she first read it in fifth grade, is Sharon Creech’s “Walk Two Moons.” 

Roy said she is especially excited to start the children’s summer programming and to learn from LPL veteran Dalton.