In today’s digital and fast-paced world, libraries have gotten a bad reputation for being outdated and old-fashioned. But libraries have long been the core of entire communities, offering a plethora of helpful and necessary services. Recently, libraries have been under attack more than usual, with funding cuts and talk of book bannings making it difficult for libraries to serve their communities in the ways that they normally would.
This week, we bring you a special 5×5 edition where we talk with five library workers from various parts of the world to discuss the importance of libraries. These five library workers demonstrate that libraries are not an outdated thing of the past. Keep reading to hear firsthand about all of the great things your library has to offer.
The Library Workers
Allie Alvis
Allie Alvis is Curator of Special Collections of the Winterthur Library, where they are responsible for the stewardship and engagement of the collection. They have previously worked as an antiquarian bookseller at Type Punch Matrix (Washington, DC) and as the special collections reference librarian for the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. You may also be familiar with Allie as Book Historia on various social media platforms, where they post informational videos about books as objects, highlighting exciting examples from libraries around the world. Allie’s research is diverse and far-reaching, with interests in physical patterns of use in books, the history of ephemera, and Arts and Crafts bookbindings.
Alyssa
At 26, Alyssa has built a career around her passion for books and community, currently working in a library where she enjoys helping others discover the joy of reading. Outside of work, she’s an avid crocheter and a devoted caretaker to a crazy household of 12 animals. A true homebody at heart, Alyssa finds joy in quiet moments at home, surrounded by what she loves.
Anji
Anji is a librarian at a university in Melbourne, Australia, a mum of two, and is currently completing a Master’s in Information Science. She started vlogging on YouTube four years ago as a way to “romanticise” her life a little, do something creative, and step outside of her introvert comfort zone! She loves to share a love of books, reading, and libraries, and create content that feels warm, comforting, and reassuring.
Luise Marianne
Luise is a literature student and library assistant based in Vienna, Austria. She has discovered the academic world via her versatile studies, first in Comparative Literature and Scandinavian Studies with a focus on Norwegian, and now in her Master’s degree in Austrian Studies, where she is writing her thesis on female authorship during the Viennese Modernism. Her studies are accompanied by her work as a library assistant, where she has worked at both the University Library for Comparative Literature and the Public Library of Vienna. Being surrounded by books in many areas of her life, she is also a writer working on her first novel and a YouTuber, where she tries to bring her knowledge of literature to her audience.
Mychal Threets
Mychal Threets is a librarian, author, mental health advocate, and the library’s number one fan (according to himself, admittedly). He grew up in Fairfield, CA, right between Sacramento and San Francisco. He was raised in his local library as a home-school kid.
He got his first library card at the age of five and was hooked on libraries from there. He got his first library job as a library shelver at the library he grew up in and worked his way up to become the Supervising Librarian of that very same library.
He is very open about his mental health. He talks about it in hopes that it’ll help others in their mental health journey. He is adamant about encouraging people to believe him when he says he’s happy they are here. His debut picture book, I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy, written by him and illustrated by Lorraine Nam, will be published by Random House Children’s Books in February 2026.
He considers it an honor to the library people who raised him that he is a recipient of the 2024 “I Love My Librarian” award from the American Library Association, one of School Library Journal’s 2024 Movers and Shakers, one of TIME Magazine’s 2024 Next Generation Leaders, a 2025 TIME100 creator, and a 2025 The Webby Awards winner for social impact.
The Questions:
1. If you could better inform the public on one major innovation, change, or misconception in the way libraries operate, what would it be and why?
Allie: As a special collections librarian, the biggest misconception folks have is that this material isn’t for “normal people” to use… but it is! It’s for everyone, and it’s not our job to decide who’s “worthy” of using the collection or not. From the 15th-century manuscript fragments to the Midcentury Modern trade catalogs, everything at the Winterthur Library is available to call up, whether you’re looking for artistic inspiration, need some design tips, are writing an academic paper, or just wish to generally ponder. The only reason we require an appointment for special collections is to make sure we have time to go grab the items you need from secure storage!
Alyssa: If I could better inform the public on one major innovation in the way libraries operate, it would be that libraries are no longer just about books. Libraries are community centers that offer access to technology and essential services. They provide free access to computers and the internet, job search assistance, 3D printers, musical instruments, and even podcast studios! This change is important because libraries may be the only resource for people in underserved populations. You never know if that one free guitar could inspire the next big pop star!
Anji: Libraries are so much more than just “books”. I can confidently say that whenever someone visits a library after not using one for a while, they are always surprised by how many different resources and services their library has! The variety of collections libraries have is astounding these days, from digital resources, to board games, consoles and console games, 3D printing, virtual reality headsets, audiobooks, and sheet music. There is something for everyone in a library!
Luise: I now work at a public library, but I also used to be an intern at the University Library for Comparative Literature. The latter seems like an exclusive and rather elite space for students and scholars. To a certain degree, education is still a privilege, even in a country like Austria. Therefore, I would love for people to know that academic libraries are also open for the public, there are special memberships, and it does not need to be this mysterious, hidden place where you are too afraid to ask for a book because you might feel like an imposter or intruder. Knowledge should be accessible to anyone. The beautiful halls of the university libraries that hold all of this knowledge are a space where any curious mind is welcome.
Mychal: What a complex question! If I can inform the public that the library truly is for everyone, I will always take that chance. The library being for everyone makes the library what it is; it is a space for everyone to visit when they’re ready. Sometimes, this can lead to challenging experiences in the library. A lot of people believe that working at the library is a nice, quiet, easy job. It IS nice and fun, but it is rarely a quiet, easy duty. This is because things happen unexpectedly, because we never know who will be at the library.
The library being for everyone means that people are people, and sometimes they have bad days. This can come from homeless people and the mentally ill, but also from housed folks and mentally “well” people. There is no “one” person who has hard days at the library. But the majority of people follow the rules at the library. They make it a place so that everyone can thrive when it’s their turn to take their opportunity to test the reality that the library is for everyone.
2. What is a lesser-known service offered by your library that you believe holds immense value but might be overlooked by the public?
Allie: One of the fantastic things about being part of Winterthur is that it’s a Museum, Garden, AND Library. Its multi-faceted nature means that we’re a great place to foster thinking about topics in an interdisciplinary way. You can look at original manuscript designs for porcelain decorated with flowers in the Library, see that same decorated porcelain as a realized object in the Museum, and, if you’re here at the right time of year, head outside and see the flowers that inspired the decorations in the Garden! These connections between the different parts of Winterthur mean that researchers can get a fuller picture of history.
Alyssa: We have many popular digital resources, but one I think should be used more is the Mango Languages app. It’s completely free and you can learn over 70 languages!
Anji: Libraries offer a sense of belonging that I think is often overlooked, especially in a society becoming more and more digital and disconnected. Everyone is welcome in the library, no matter your age, gender, culture, language, economic status, or beliefs. The students who don’t “fit in” at school find sanctuary at the library. The elderly person who lives alone will find a friendly chat and somewhere warm to read the newspaper. The new mum will find support and friendship at children’s storytime. Libraries connect people to community and belonging.
Luise: Two aspects come to mind:
1.) Books are the obvious item in a library, but there is also a “Library of Things” provided by a few branches of the Public Library of Vienna. You can borrow practical items such as tools, games like chessboards, electronic devices like e-readers, or even a sewing machine. I see the beauty in borrowing all kinds of items and would even argue that a library highlights a non-capitalistic, eco-friendly, and especially an inclusive space, which the world needs so desperately right now.
2.) In regard to inclusiveness, I am not sure if people are further aware of all the events that academic and public libraries host. From readings or learning courses (like learning how to read the old handwriting “Kurrent” provided by the Austrian National Library) to language cafés or gatherings, such as pen and paper games or chess afternoons at the public library, where everyone is welcome. I often hear that for foreigners, it is hard to get to know people in Austria, which can be an extremely isolating experience — I would suggest the libraries of Vienna with their many events as a possible place to start gaining ground here.
Mychal: You know, my home library is Solano County Library, and they offer WiFi hotspots for people to borrow. This seems like such a small thing and not very exciting. But it’s a big deal! It may not be as flashy as other services, but it is necessary. So many people cannot afford WiFi. The hotspots being able to be borrowed for three weeks at a time allow library kids to use their school Chromebooks at home to do their homework. They allow adults to check emails, to apply for jobs, to surf the Internet, and to utilize the library’s 24/7 digital library. I love that the library loans them out as part of the collection!
3. Looking at your specific region or country, how have recent societal shifts (such as political changes, economic trends…) directly impacted the services or priorities of your library?
Allie: The librarians and curators of the Winterthur Library have always been proponents of collecting material pretty far outside the “Great Man” theory of history, and I am honored to be in a position to continue that tradition. In addition to increasing our holdings relating to underrepresented groups in American craft and material culture history in response to more pronounced research demand, we are also thinking about how what we consider “recent” material today will be valuable to future researchers. We are also working on various projects relating to reparative description in our current holdings.
The Winterthur Library is extremely lucky not to be heavily dependent on outside funding for its day-to-day functions… but no library is an island. We hope to be able to use our position as an independent research library to support our colleagues.
Alyssa: As inflation and housing prices have risen, many libraries have adapted by offering more social services, such as partnering with food banks and homeless shelters. With all the recent book bans and debates about what’s considered ‘appropriate,’ libraries have stepped up to make sure people still have access to a wide range of books and ideas. They’re standing up for the freedom to read and learn without limits. Since the COVID pandemic, I would say that it has widened the digital divide among everyone. In response, many libraries have started providing hotspots, laptops, and creating digital learning programs to help low-income families participate.
Anji: Public libraries in particular have had to adopt more social-work services, in my experience. Where once a library’s focus might have been academic and literary, nowadays public libraries offer many people vital community services, such as access to WiFi and public computers, job-seeking help, form-filling assistance, parenting courses, English language learning, email, and photocopying. In my previous job in a public library, we also observed many people accessing the library for basic needs. Many people who were homeless or living in cars came to the library to use the toilets, the air-conditioning, and the heating, knowing they could hang out in the library and they wouldn’t be turned away for not spending money.
Luise: The pandemic has had a huge impact on attendance, and only now are the numbers going back up to the amount they used to be. Obviously, during lockdowns, it wasn’t allowed to visit the library, but it is all the more beautiful to see people returning and losing their fear of public spaces again. As a matter of fact, I do not believe that the library as an institution will become obsolete — it might change, also due to e-media, but physical books and the space itself are still highly valuable and cherished by people.
Mychal: One of the biggest shifts that has impacted libraries is the increased banning and challenging of books. Libraries are making it a priority to protect books and protect our freedom to read and access to those books and reading. People feel empowered to strip others of the right to read because of their biases. Unfortunately, for far too long, it worked, but now, we know more and are better prepared and can offer responses to people who want to ban books. We get to remind people that it is beautiful to see themselves in books, to see people who look like them in books, to see their experiences in books, to see people who don’t look like them in books, and to learn about others via books. It is not an agenda; it is an insistence that books are for everyone.
4. Working with such different types of books and people, do you ever find yourself developing an unexpected expertise or a personal interest in a subject you wouldn’t have otherwise? If so, what is it?
Allie: Oh my gosh, yes, all the time! That’s where my current passion for ephemera came from — I was assisting in preparing for an ephemera-heavy program, and I utterly fell in love with the acid-free boxes crammed full of old tickets, postcards, Valentine’s, product labels, and a vast amount of other miscellaneous stuff that was generally made to be used once and thrown away. In a similar vein, I became a minor expert in the history of wrapping paper at one point, thanks to a reference question! That’s one of my favorite things about what I do: you get to walk in other people’s research shoes for a bit.
Alyssa: Yes! Every month, I feel like I become obsessed with a new hobby because I come across a book that catches my eye. One day, I will finally pick up that embroidery book and actually do it lol.
Anji: I have become an expert at dislodging paper jams in printers and photocopiers! I’m also good at convincing a reluctant printer to connect to a system and print — I have years of experience learning to “speak printer.”
Luise: At the public library, I was able to broaden my horizon concerning genres — graphic novels and comics have never been a part of my reading experience before, the hype is also rather small here in Austria (compared to other European countries, such as France or Belgium, e.g.). Since I work at the public library, so many interesting graphic novels have passed my hands that I have started to get quite intrigued. A lot of readers have given me their positive reviews on some popular ones, such as Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, as well as The Sandman by Neil Gaiman or Maus by Art Spiegelman. There is also a graphic novel version of Stefan Zweig’s Chess Story, which I absolutely love and can’t wait to read as a graphic novel.
At the university library, it was often not simply one book that I discovered but whole research topics from other students that I found myself drawn towards. I experienced what I would call a flow of knowledge, an exchange of ideas and perspectives — unwillingly happening in all its beauty.
Last but not least, one less obvious aspect that can be easily overlooked when you think of a quiet library job: working in a library requires many social skills, and one might be surprised how often you find yourself comforting people who are not able to handle their emotions in public spaces — especially in public libraries. Most of the time, it is anger, but also grief or loneliness, which can make it difficult to communicate.
Mychal: ALL THE TIME! Working at the library, you learn from the public. You listen to what they like, what they don’t like. You learn to appreciate games like Dungeons and Dragons, you find yourself becoming a travel expert in listening to those who browse the travel section, you become a person who can keep plants alive as you help the community with a seed lending library, and you may even see more movies than you ever have to hold your own in conversations with the local movie buffs. Library workers have a Jeopardy-level knowledge of many things. We may not be experts at everything, expected or unexpected, but there are little bits of things known about many things.
5. Reflecting on your own story, was there a particular moment (in a library, maybe!) that sparked your passion for this field?
Allie: The first time I saw a medieval illuminated manuscript in the reading room! It was the first semester of my first master’s degree, and I was in awe of the fact that I could just… hang out with this 650+ year old thing. Not only did I realize I wanted to continue hanging out with old books, but I also realized that I wanted others to feel like I did that evening in the reading room. That’s one of the reasons why I’m so active on social media! While not everyone may be able to get to a reading room physically, I can try to communicate that sense of wonder through video.
Alyssa: I grew up going to the library. It was and still is my favorite place to be. I have so many vivid memories of running into the building, grabbing all of the Lizzie McGuire DVDs, and excitedly anticipating the moment when I could throw them in my DVD player once I got home. I have loved reading my entire life, so I don’t remember the moment when I “knew” I’d work in a library. I just knew I loved to read.
Anji: Oh my gosh — that’s a long story! I grew up as an only child with a single mum, so I spent a lot of time in the local library after school waiting for my mum to finish her work as a waitress. The two librarians at the local library were both the wives of my school teachers (Shout-out to Dottie and Rosie!), so they knew me well and always welcomed me with open arms and a stack of book recommendations! I read everything I could get my hands on — particularly anything with horses! I also made very good friends with my school librarians, who fed my passion for reading and learning! I studied to be a teacher when I left school, and only discovered librarianship later on, after I had my children. But honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner! It was a no-brainer!
Luise: I remember seeking the library in my hometown as a kid, as my shelter and safe space where I was soon allowed to go on my own and browse through all the books they had. The librarian there already knew me, and it made me incredibly calm to select new books and return home with stories that would match my own great imagination. If little me had known that I would one day work in a library, I would have been incredibly excited for this path. Now, as an adult and living in a big city where there are so many different libraries, I see these places as little sanctuaries from the busy city. Therefore, I couldn’t pin it down to one single moment but to a conglomerate of childhood memories and emotions that libraries evoke within me. Libraries leave me in awe whenever I am surrounded by so many books at once.
Mychal: Honestly, I believe my interest in libraries is a result of my mom and dad. They homeschooled me from kindergarten through junior year of high school. As a result, I was in libraries a lot as a kid. It’s where I grew up, but it’s also where my curriculum came from, and it’s where I went to school. Hanging with the librarians while learning with my mom. It’s the place I knew I belonged, it’s the place where I felt like me. It was my passion because my parents and the librarians made it feel like home. The books were my friends, the librarians were my friends. Every library moment was the moment. It just took me a bit to figure that out.
Bonus Questions:
6. In books, movies, or series, is there a particular fictional librarian that you consider cool or that truly embodies the spirit of the profession for you?
Allie: There are plenty of fictional librarians who love old books or go on adventures for or about old books, but I feel like there aren’t enough depictions of librarians who want to communicate about old books! For this reason, my library idol is (bizarrely, stay with me here) the comedian and writer Brian David Gilbert. He primarily talks about video games, but he is an unbelievably effective communicator and is hilarious to boot. His panel on constructing “The Perfect Pokérap” (a re-working of the opening song to the original Pokémon series) is an absolute masterclass on teaching about complex poetic and musical concepts while entertaining and holding an audience’s attention. While I will probably never be as funny as him, I hope to at least engage people with special collections in a similarly exciting way!
Alyssa: Rupert Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer will always be my favorite TV show librarian. He was very passionate about his studies, and he even got to slay vampires on the side. I wish I could do that.
Anji: I think many librarians would answer this question in the same way. The librarian in Matilda by Roald Dahl warms my heart. She is such a minor character in the story, but the impact she has on Matilda’s life is immeasurable. I think she really embodies what we hope to do as librarians: To equip people with knowledge and confidence, and to give them the reassurance that they are capable, prepared, and not alone.
Luise: I recently watched the series adaptation of the graphic novel The Sandman by Neil Gaiman on Netflix. One character in the realm of Dream is a librarian; her name is Lucienne. She is a wonderful character. Wise and calm, she always seems to find the right words and is there in need of help, without losing a critical and self-aware mindset.
Mychal: I really have always appreciated Evie in The Mummy as a librarian. I love her enthusiastic line, “I am… a librarian!” It is the joy that makes her one of my favorites. She is proud to be a librarian; she is honored to hold the title. THAT is how library workers feel, we love that we get to be library people. Her role captures those feelings of pride… right before all The Mummy wildness begins. The other character/person doesn’t hold the title, but it’s LeVar Burton as the host of Reading Rainbow. He is the coolest. He embodies everything about the profession. He did more than just teach us to read; he encouraged us to read, he showed us how fun it is, and he proved that reading is an adventure. I’ll always be thankful to him for the book joy.
7. If you could spend a day doing only one aspect of your job, what would it be, and why does that particular task bring you the most joy?
Allie: I suppose it won’t be too surprising, given my previous answers, that the task that brings me the most joy is using the collection to educate! I love hosting open houses, events, and classes where people can get up close and personal with material in a less intimidating way; hearing a group gasp as they walk into the reading room and see a spread of amazing things is one of the best feelings in the world.
Alyssa: I would say the task that I enjoy doing the most is setting up for the big programs that we throw. There is just something so fun about changing the building into an entirely different world, only out of cardboard and DIY projects!
Anji: That’s a hard one! I love so many parts of my job! My favourite thing at the moment is doing collection maintenance on the oldest books in our collection. I love finding little bookmarks, letters, notes, and trinkets left in the pages. It reminds me of how many different people have borrowed that book and had it in their hands. I love it when a book has been donated from a private collection, and someone has written on the front cover when giving the book as a gift to a loved one. It’s like a little time capsule. Like a little window into the past. Books are magic.
Luise: The most beautiful part of this job is the many different tasks, which all revolve around books, so it never gets boring. As a library assistant, I have, however, yet to discover many areas of a librarian’s job that I am not allowed to do in my current position. A dream of mine would be to work with antique books and handwritten manuscripts and to learn how to preserve and understand these precious items — witnesses and time capsules of our history. I imagine it to be very special to handle old books on a daily basis.
Mychal: My favorite aspect of the job that I would love to do all day is outreach. It brings me joy because it is telling people about the library, telling people why the library is for everyone. It’s having conversations with people and surprising them with what the library has to offer. It’s telling people that we can make things happen for them. I love opportunities to talk about the library! That’s the library, and that’s my favorite aspect.
These library workers prove that working in a library is so much more than shelving books. They bring the life and magic of a library that so many of us felt when we were young. We hope this interview inspired you to check out and meet your own local library workers if you haven’t already. A huge thank you to Allie, Alyssa, Anji, Luise, and Mychal for participating in this 5×5!
Find Allie Alvis here.
Find Alyssa here.
Find Anji here.
Find Luise Marianne here.
Find Mychal Threets here.
For more 5×5 interviews, click here.
Check out our favorite banned books on our Banned Books bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
