Carol Wilkins was Erin Campbell’s elementary school librarian before becoming the Library Director of the Wellman-Scofield Public Library, where Erin has been going to find good books her entire life. Wilkins’ last day at the library is Friday, July 16 and, after that, Campbell will be taking the reigns as the new Library Director.

“I’ve always loved libraries. I’ve lived here my whole life so I’ve been coming here my whole life. I love books, a lot,” Campbell said. “I have a passion for finding people books they love, being able to let them fall in love with reading.”

Campbell said one of her favorite things about libraries is that they are accessible to pretty much everyone in the community — everyone can find something to enjoy, free of judgment or criticism.

Campbell previously worked as a substitute and then full-time paraeducator at Mid-Prairie High School, and then at the elementary level. Before that, she was a nanny, so she’s worked with kids of all ages. One child she nannied for struggled with dyslexia, which made reading very difficult, but found success and joy in reading picture books.

“The picture books are in the children’s section, but they’re for everybody,” Camp-bell said. “I want to help destigmatize things like that, or books like graphic novels… Some people don’t see them as reading, but they’re just a different kind of reading. I want to work with readers to find books that are accessible and enjoyable to them.”

One early goal Campbell has for the library is to bring in more accessible adapta-tions of classic novels.

  “I read everything. I like the idea of reading classics and I enjoy reading them, but that’s not all reading is,” Campbell said. “The last two days I read reading graphic novels. I picked up “Anne of Green Gables” and “Little Women”. I had read both of those books as classics, but it’s fun to read them as graphic novels, too. There shouldn’t be shame in them.”

As a high schooler, Campbell loved Jane Austen — she would even sit with a copy of “Pride and Prejudice” on her desk. But over the years, she has learned to embrace all different kinds of books, from romance novels to nonfiction and crime novels to poetry.

“I just read my first crime novel last month. I ordered one that came in and thought to myself, ‘I just want to read it,’” Campbell said. “It was really good! I never would have picked it up if all these people hadn’t been recommending it to me.”

Working at a library as small as Wellman-Scofield has many perks, Campbell said, and during her training (Campbell started at the library on June 2), Wilkins has shown her that being the Library Director is all about forming relationships with the patrons.

“Carol likes to say that we’re the small town, friendly library where, when people come in, Carol will get up or I’ll get up and out and say hi because it’s important to have that relationship,” Campbell said. “It makes such a difference when you know the people who are coming in and you know what they like. There are some people that I know even now, if the new James Patterson novel comes out, they’re going to come in and check it out right away. It’s nice to know how much they care.”

Campbell said one the hardest aspects of the job so far is knowing that she’s step-ping into the shoes of a well-loved and respected director.

“I think one of the hardest things is just that everyone loves Carol. I love Carol!” Campbell said. “I’m trying to fill in that amazing role. I’m not trying to be Carol, but trying to fill in those footsteps and that shadow that she has left is going to be the hardest part.”

A couple goals Campbell has going forward is to bring back more programming for senior citizens as COVID considerations lift and to bring more teenagers into the library.

“I’ve been following some younger people who review books and I’ve gotten some of those books in here,” Campbell said. “I want to advertise at the high school. I’ve worked with them at the high school for three years, so I know some of the students. I think it would be easier to me to reach out and see what it would take to get some of those kids in here.”

Campbell said as a child she loved “The Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket. As a teen, she loved Jane Austen. One book she’s read recently that stuck out her was “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman because it made her laugh and gave her “all those good feelings that a good book does.”

But the most important thing for Campbell, she said, is helping people find books that they themselves love.

“Reading has saved me and has made me sane. I love it,” Campbell said. “I love helping people find what they love to read because it’s my way of escaping things and finding joy in life. It’s so important."