FAMILIAR FACES
At the
library North Mankato Taylor Library’s Director Katie Heintz looks forward to in-person programming
L Photos by Pat Christman
NAME:
Katie Heintz HOMETOWN: NORTH MANKATO
FAVORITE SEASON: Oh, I love them all.
NAME A RANDOM AND FUN FACT YOU KNOW: I have 3-year-old twin girls!
COKE OR PEPSI?: No soda. COFFEE!
ibraries add such a magical space to any community. Obviously, they’re full of reading materials, hundreds of resources and only a page away from stepping into a fictional world. But beyond the go-to spot to pick up the latest best-selling book, libraries like the North Mankato Taylor Library offer so much to a community. Throughout the years, Taylor Library hosted events such as Music in the Park, Bookin’ on Belgrade and ArtSplash. Not to mention it provides adult and children programming throughout the year. And at the height of COVID-19, the library remained closed but still continued to serve the community by offering a no-contact book pickup. More importantly, libraries are filled with friendly faces who help find a book, sign on to a computer and organize community events — such as North Mankato native Katie Heintz, Taylor Library’s director. MANKATO MAGAZINE: You’ve been at the North Mankato Taylor Library for eight years. What interested you the most in choosing this career? KATIE HEINTZ: I have been coming to the North Mankato Taylor library since I was a kid. My sister and I would bike down and back up the “big hill” to get to the library. The library was always a place of joy and excitement for me. Who wouldn’t want to work at a place like that? MM: The library was closed from mid-March through June 2020 due to the pandemic. What was that experience like for you and everyone at the library? KH: We still wanted to be there for our patrons, so it was a time of adjusting and getting things done. We learned to roll with things and get our materials out to the people that wanted/needed them. We
12 • JUNE 2021 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
