by Catherine Vasko
When talking about what I do career-wise, I often refer to myself as a “baby librarian.” After all, with this being my first year working for the Adams County Library System (ACLS), it only feels right! For the ACLS patrons that are regulars at East Berlin, you may know me best as Cat instead of Catherine, the new Branch Manager at the Jean Barnett Trone Memorial Library of East Berlin; a position I’ve held since November of last year.
I’ve lived in Adams County for close to two years now. Prior to starting my job here, my background was primarily focused on the arts, specifically, working in archives and collections management and doing some behind-the-scenes exhibition work in the museum field. Library science has always been adjacent to my prior work and an area of interest and enthusiasm for me. I’ve always enjoyed providing a service that gives back to the community in a meaningful way – whether it’s historic preservation, art education, or promoting literacy. I’m a firm believer that there is great power in the humanities, especially within libraries. One of my favorite aspects of this position has quickly become helping other community members and building those special connections with them.
In my short time working with ACLS, if we have crossed paths, chances are that I’ve mentioned to you that a goal of mine is to integrate the arts and culture into the library as much as possible. Being new to the library community, I’ve been looking into engaging and interesting ways to make use of the space we have here at Jean Barnett Trone Memorial Library. So far, we have displayed local artists’ work in our entryway display cases, such as local Abbottstown artist Mary Moores, who reinterprets local, everyday life with vibrant, eye-catching pastels, fabric art from the Central Pennsylvania Guild of Handweavers, and the exceptional, handmade quilts of one of our long-time patrons.
This fall and winter, we will have work from the Conewago Carvers on display, as well as work from our friends from the Central Pennsylvania Guild of Handweavers again. We will even be breaking out archival material to give the community a glimpse into our branch’s extensive past! Programming-wise, we have begun to offer additional craft programs, varying from DIY classes to watercolor classes with an outside instructor, Hannah Smolensky of Owlfeathers Watercolor. In the upcoming months, we have a lecture on the history of wolves in Pennsylvania, a string trio performance, and a live handweaving demonstration planned.
While these are just a few of the things in-store, my hope for the future of my library branch is to continue harboring a safe space for all to feel welcome, a place for our community to come together to learn, share, and celebrate where they live, who they are, and who they want to be. People often ask me what I most enjoy about working in a library, and my answer remains the same: our wonderful patrons. My goal is for anyone in East Berlin and the surrounding area to step through our doors, feel included, and hopefully leave with newfound knowledge – be it about a new book they find on our shelves, local history, or even the artwork we have displayed. I look forward to my future here in the library system and continuing to connect with this community that has welcomed me with open arms!
Catherine Vasko is Branch Manager, at the Jean Barnett Trone Memorial Library of East Berlin.