Meet Middleburg Library’s New Branch Manager

Meet Middleburg Library’s New Branch Manager 

By Linda Roberts 

Walking into the c o m f o r t a b l e and welcoming Middleburg Library on the aptly named Reed Street on a recent afternoon to meet new branch manager Dena Henchen, brought back memories of summer library visits. The Middleburg stacks, filled with books to suit every age and taste, and the hushed tones of voices are reminiscent of those library outings I remember when school closed for summer break. 

The Middleburg branch opened in 1986 on South Madison Street and has been a part of the vibrant network of community libraries that make up the Loudoun County Public Library system. In 1990, Middleburg opened in it’s current custom-built location at 101 Reed Street. Along with Lovettsville, it is part of the system’s two smallest libraries, each with ongoing outreach of countless programs for all ages: storytime for toddlers and children, yoga for adults and DIU crafts for teens. 

Henchen has been with the system for ten years, serving in increasingly responsible positions at four different branches, including Gum Spring, Rust, Purcellville, and now as branch manager at Middleburg. 

“I’m brand new here and still learning,” Henchen said with a smile, “but this library certainly gives off good vibes.” 

Henchen added that she already knew many of Middleburg’s staff of seven from her previous work, and she sees familiar clients from the Purcellville and Gum Spring Libraries. “This community is friendly and the staff is wonderful; there are lots of friendly faces,” she adds. 

Henchen referenced the community support seen at the library with the Middleburg Library Advisory Board, a group of local residents who support its ongoing activities through various endeavors. 

She pointed out the shelves by the front door where board members donate books that are then available for sale to the public at $1 each. Funds are turned over to the library to be used toward ongoing programs and special events. The board also awards significant scholarships to local high school students every year. 

Employment within Loudoun County’s public library system is a second career for Henchen and an evolution within her personal life. “For almost 20 years I worked in human services and behavioral health,” she said, noting that she was always on her cell phone. “It got to the point where I needed a change.” 

Still exploring the library and the town, Henchen intends to broaden the branch’s visibility by becoming active in organizations such as the Middleburg Business and Professional Association and by developing more partnerships for the library within the surrounding community. 

When asked what books she read as a child growing up in a small town in western New York, Henchen recalled that she followed the Anne of Green Gables series and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, but confessed that she also “liked a little bit of everything.”