Meet the Librarian: Tom, Library Director

Do you ever wonder about the people running your library? In this new blog post series, we'll highlight a different staff member each month. First, we'd like to introduce our new director, Tom Taylor, who only recently started working here at APL and does not yet know what he's got himself into.

Name: Tom Taylor

Position at the library: Director

1. How long have you been at APL?  1 week

2. What’s your favorite thing about APL? It's an exciting opportunity for me because this is a fantastic institution.

3. What is your favorite book and why? That's a tough question. Who has just one? I suppose it depends on when you ask. Right now, it's Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis. I first read that as a college student in Greece so it has personal meaning to me.

4. Do you have any other book or author recommendations? For a living author, I recommend Neil Gaiman. he has a wonderful, vivid imagination, rooted in literature and folklore. Otherwise, I recommend Fyodor Dostoevsky, for the great dialogue and the cerebral nature of his works. 

5. Do you have any hobbies (besides reading)? I enjoy following certain sports. I like IndyCar racing and I'm a big Kansas City Chiefs fan. I also enjoy college sports (though I won't say which teams... yet). And I have two young boys, so they take up most of my time.

6. If you weren’t a librarian, what would you be? Definitely a teacher. History, at the middle school or high school level.

7. What’s your favorite food? Coconut. I like coconut anything: coconut treats, coconut desserts, coconut water... I cook with coconut oil. I love coconut.

8. How did you end up in the library field? My mom was the librarian at McPherson College, so I grew up around libraries, using libraries, but it still never occurred to me that I might go into the library field. Then, in grad school for history, I realized I enjoyed the research and the teaching, but I hated the writing. That eventually led to reference librarianship. Then I got a job at Newton Public Library. 

9. What does your dream library look like? Spacious, modern, clean, and busy.

10. Talk about other stuff you like (movies, TV, music, games, etc.) I like Doctor Who - I grew up on it, so I like the older stuff, but I've seen some of the new stuff as well. I like travel, learning. I used to enjoy video games, strategy games, and board games, but I don't have much time for that now. 

Welcome to the library, Tom!