Travis takes over as library director

The new director of the Sweetwater County Library System is a familiar face who's already been doing the work of director for a while.

Lindsey Travis has been with the library for eight years. She worked as the public relations specialist before becoming a library manager and then the assistant director. The library board appointed Travis to be the interim director after Jason Grubb's final day as director in November. The position of director was advertised regionally, and the board accepted applications and conducted an interview process. The board announced Travis's appointment as director at the board meeting Jan. 17.

"As the director I am in charge of the entire library system," Travis explained. The system includes the Sweetwater County Library in Green River, the Rock Springs Library on C Street and the Community Fine Arts Center attached to it, the White Mountain Library in Rock Springs and the six rural library branches in Granger, Reliance, Superior, Wamsutter, Bairoil and Farson.

Travis explained she the director is also in charge of hiring and coming up with policies and procedures for the library system, as well as overseeing the budget and the budget process, requesting funds from the county for the fiscal year and making sure those funds are appropriately spent.

"I think most of my goals kind of are focused around the library system's mission statement," Travis said.

The library's mission statement says "the Sweetwater County Library System improves the quality of life in our communities" in three ways.

"The first one is helping individuals obtain information," Travis explained. "So my goal when it comes to that bullet point would be to maintain a well-trained staff who can assist patrons with their information needs."

The second point in the mission statement is providing materials that are reliable and current. Travis said her goal is to keep up to date with the latest trends when it comes to information needs in our community and make sure the library has the appropriate resources available to people. She also hopes to get the word out about the available resources.

"If you don't use the library that often you might not realize all the things that we have to offer," Travis said. She encouraged those who haven't been to the library in a while to stop by and see what's available, from computers with internet access to the Children's Discovery Center in Rock Springs to displays in the Community Fine Arts Center to online resources including audio books and digital streaming movies.

"We have more things than just books," Travis said.

The last way the library improves the quality of life in the community according to the mission statement is by "encouraging a lifelong joy of reading and learning for all, especially children."

Travis hopes to continue to provide outreach programs through the library and possibly increase that outreach and strengthen the already existing reading programs and kids programs.

If there's one thing she's nervous about facing as director, Travis admitted it would be the budget, which she called a "big undertaking."

"It's never known really what things are going to look like in the future, so being able to have the funding to maintain everything that we have that we're providing the community is always something that can be of a concern," Travis said.

However, despite these concerns, Travis is excited to see what the library staff can do as they come up with new ideas and work together.

"We have a great staff here at the library, a great management team," Travis said. She looks forward to seeing how the library team can not only continue to provide the library's existing services to the community, but find ways to expand and offer even more.

"I'm most excited about just seeing where we can take the library system going forward," Travis said.