Caroline Johnson is busy, but happy. On September 3, she started her new career as the Statesboro Regional Public Libraries Director. The unexpected early August/late September weather made Johnson's start precarious, but she made informed decisions that benefited both staff and patrons.
"I knew it was hurricane season. I knew that was part of it, having to let people know when to close, when to reopen, so that was a learning experience," she says. "I'm still in the transition period."
Johnson is settling in to her new position now, organizing and making adjustments as she goes. Since a replacement for her former library manager position has not yet been found, she is also splitting time between the downstairs operations and the upstairs regional manager duties.
"I've been pulling double duty," she says with a good-natured laugh.
Johnson arrived at her current position via a circuitous route that began with her undergraduate degree.
"I went to Armstrong. I graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in English," Johnson says. "I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do, so I got a full-time job at Levy Jewelers in Savannah in the inventory department."
Johnson wrote descriptions of the jewelry and took photos of the items before uploading the information into the system. Before long, a life-changing move would affect the trajectory of her life.
"While I was there, I got married and moved to Statesboro. I was commuting from Statesboro to Savannah, but I really wanted a job in Statesboro," she shared. "There was an opening at the library, and I'd previously worked at Live Oak Public Library while I was in college."
Johnson, an Effingham County native, had always loved reading, and she realized the circulation job would be a perfect fit. She started at the Statesboro Regional Library in January of 2013. The next year, she moved to the Business Services department to work under former regional directer, Jennifer Durham, as her administrative assistant.
"I decided to go back online to get my library degree," Johnson says. "Shortly after finishing that, I became a regional services librarian, and then, in May of 2022, that's when I became the Bulloch manager."
Johnson has used the knowledge and experience she has gained over the last 11 years to prepare her for her current position.
"I am now over the region, so that includes Statesboro, but it also includes our library in Evans County, Emmanuel County, Candler County, and then we have two libraries in Bryan County, so six libraries in five counties," Johnson explains.
Johnson and her husband, also from Effingham County, have two young sons. The couple, who celebrated 12 years of marriage on October 6, are already preparing their children to love the written word.
"I have two boys, a four-year-old and a one-year-old, so they keep me busy. The four-year-old loves coming to the library and attending programs when he can; he loves the LEGO wall here at Stateboro and he also likes to flip through the books," she says.
Johnson has signed her older son up for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program and has always prioritized reading to her children.
"We've always been reading to him and he enjoys books, so that just makes me so happy."
In her spare time, Johnson likes to travel and carve out quality time for her family.
"I like spending time with my boys and getting to see things through their eyes," she says. "You can re-experience things."
Johnson's future goals for the library include equipping the library van with a wi-fi hot spot.
"I want to go out into the community more. We do want to provide things for all ages. Even summer reading, we'd want adults to participate," she explains. "I try to participate myself, so that way I can then promote it to other people."
Johnson also plans to collaborate with the library managers to continue to provide quality customer service while also improving operations for community members.
The library most recently introduced Palace Project, which is an app that houses a collection of thousands of ebook and audiobook titles. The library is offering Palace Project in addition to Libby, which is another app through which patrons can find the content they are looking for on the go.
For more information about the Statesboro Regional Public Libraries, please visit their website.
