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Photo provided by Halsted Bernard

Halsted Bernard is a self-identified introvert.  You wouldn’t guess this from her presentation style.  She is at times funny, tongue-in-cheek, and animated while talking about her favorite subject: the library.

In a previous position in the Silicon Valley, Ms. Bernard frequently found herself attending parties with employees from tech companies like Google and Apple.  The first reactions to her non-techy job provoked, without fail, one of three comments:

Who has time to read?

The library?  You mean, the place where people sleep?

I’m sorry to break it to you, but print is dead!

Consequently, Halsted sat herself down to craft a presentation on how to talk about libraries.

First, don’t panic!  Try mentioning the latest book you read.  Halsted is a big fan of fantasy and sci-fi.

Second, scan the room for a person wearing a Harry Potter T-shirt.  You’re sure to be able to strike up a conversation about the latest Quiddich match or the evil ways of Draco Malfoy.

Third, look for the person carrying around a dog-eared copy of a James Patterson novel.  Along Came a Spider is a particularly popular title.

Next, break out the stats.  At the Tigard Public Library where Ms. Bernard is currently Director of Library Services, some 225,000 items are available for check-out.  Plus, over 1.1 million items are available through cooperation with 13 other libraries in the area.  With your library card, you can open the door to free printed books, e-books, audio books, music, games, movies, and cultural passes to area attractions like the Chinese Garden.  Tigard Public Library also has free wi-fi, public computers, and wireless headphones are available to check out.  If that isn’t enough to send you running to the library, there are also free newspapers, including the New York Times, from Pamplin Media and free streaming of classic films on the Kanopy system.  Many hands are required to accomplish all this work, and much of it is done by 174 volunteers who logged over 15,000 hours in 2019.

Under the direction of Ms. Bernard, the Tigard Public Library moved the location of the Teen Scene from the second floor to the first floor, created a room focused on local history, and is looking for a new vendor to run the lobby café.  The Library also provides a Summer Reading program for children, a Tax Aid program, and a Friendly Visitor program to get books out to people who can’t go the Library.  The Library has a program that connects people experiencing homelessness with vital community services.  Coffee and Conversation, in partnership with the Good Neighbor Center and Just Compassion, is held on the third Thursday of each month from 9 – 10 AM.

Halsted Bernard has worked in libraries around the world, including in Scotland, Alabama, and San Francisco.  She has been the Director of Library Services in Tigard for one year.  She loves to read and write, and is especially passionate about fantasy and sci-fi.