Occupation: I am the Information Technology Librarian at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library. I started about two months ago, in July. It’s been really fun to get to know people and learn all the ins and outs. I previously worked in the Bethel Public Library for technology and technical services. I just finished my degree over the summer. I fell into library work, but once I got into it, I knew it’s where I wanted to be. I love it and am excited to be the IT librarian in Newtown.

Family: My parents, Bob and Dana, live nearby in Redding, and we get to hang out a lot — they’re my two best friends. My sister, Melody, and her family just moved a little further away in Cheshire. My husband, James, is a medical lab technician. We just got married in June and live in Brewster.

Pets: We have a rescue dog, Val. We got her from DAWS. They were really good about directing us to a dog that would be a good fit. She’s about 7 years old now, and she’s part border collie and part Lab. She’s very smart and very mellow. She’s a sweetheart.

What do you like to do in your free time? I’m just like the next person — I love cat memes. Aside from that, I really like playing around with decorating our house. I like writing poetry, but don’t do it as much as I’d like to. Also, the cliché librarian answer, I love to read.

Do you have a favorite book? Right now, it’s Faithful and Virtuous Night by Louise Glück. I love it because the writing is magical and transcendent, but it also tells a story even though it’s poetry. It’s fantastical and brings you on a journey.

What is your favorite travel destination? Italy. It’s the coolest place I’ve been. I also just like being by the water, so I love going to Cape Cod.

What is the best part about Newtown? I love the community. People have been really nice and welcoming. I feel like I’m in a great place. The people are so engaged and are not afraid to share their thoughts. As a librarian, my interest is serving the community, so when people aren’t shy to tell me what they need and what they want, it makes my job easier and makes a good dialogue.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? Definitely my parents. I can’t pinpoint anything, but there are times when I realize “Oh, I wouldn’t have known to do this if mom or dad didn’t show me.”

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? Lin-Manuel Miranda. He just seems like he’s such a happy person and would be so fun to hang out with. We could do a real life musical.

What is your favorite musical genre? I tend to gravitate towards Celtic music, but I also enjoy hip-hop and jazz. One album that I think is really cool is called Deltron 3030, which is a sci-fi hip-hop opera.

Do you have a favorite TV show? I could re-watch The Wire a million times. It has great story telling and the characters are so well-developed.

What is your favorite food? I’m really looking forward to the autumn because I love all things pumpkin spice.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? “Reach for the moon, because if you miss, you’ll still land among the stars.”

What is something you cannot live without? A good book. My “to be read” list is miles long at this point, and I always have a stack of books on my nightstand to read.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Finishing my library degree. It wasn’t something I expected to get into, but I did it while I was working full-time. It took a lot of time, effort, and study, and when I finished, I felt like I had the world opened to me.