PEOPLE MAKING YOUR LIBRARY WORK

Customer Profile Pat Cameron

Pat keeps a list of books that she wants to read. From classics like Homer’s Odyssey to recent Pulitzer Prize winner Louise Erdrich’s The Night Watchman, she requests these materials through the library—because buying several books every month can be expensive. “There are some beautifully illustrated children’s books. I can see these books through the HomeWord Bound program that I wouldn’t normally purchase,” says Pat. The library sends materials (books, large print, and audiobooks on CDs) to 60 home-bound

Cover Artist Zoe Cochran

customers monthly. “Once you reach your 90s it’s a different world and getting to the library can be tricky,” says Pat. Library staff and volunteers fulfill these requests to connect with Deschutes County residents in their homes and at independent living facilities. Pat is keen on supporting public libraries. “Libraries are the repository for connection to everything from the past—media, art, folktales, illustrations, and the written word.” To learn more about HomeWord Bound, visit dpl.pub/ homebound.

Creative inspiration can strike anywhere and for this young artist her backyard is an ever-changing canvas. “Two bunnies like to hangout by the woodpile and bluebirds nest in the birdhouses my grandpa and I made,” says cover artist Zoe Cochran. This adventurous nine-year-old loves to spend time exploring the outdoors and learning on her family’s homestead. “We raise chickens, grow companion plants, and discover a lot about insects, but my favorite subject is reading,” says Zoe. Whether checking out books from the library or reading at home, some of her favorite picks are The Berenstain Bears, Bad Kitty, and the Magic Tree House series. Zoe and her older sister attend Oregon Family School where they incorporate library trips, science camp, sports, and cultural immersion (hatching baby sea turtles in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula!) into their curriculum. Closer to home, Zoe recently created a habitat for a caterpillar so she can observe the chrysalis morph into a swallowtail butterfly and take flight.

Staff Profile Annie Bucher

Public Services Specialist

On any given day, Annie assigns library cards, helps customers find books, troubleshoots digital downloads, assists with printing services, and does her best to answer any questions—all with a smile on her face. Annie joined the Sunriver Library as a Public Services Specialist in November 2021. This small but mighty branch is an important resource for the community. “Not only do we connect people with information and books, but we provide a comfortable space to relax with access to computers and a place for kids and families to play,” says Annie. Her favorite part of the job is telling new customers about the multitude of resources. “People are genuinely surprised at the library’s resources, like borrowing a Cricut kit and air fryer from the Library of Things.” While there are many things to love about her job, Annie says she enjoys recommending books to customers, including one of her all-time favorite reads, The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.