Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Left to Right (backrow): Sandy Nelson, Larami Burner, Eileen Nightingale, (frontrow): Heather Rohm, Mia Sedillo (Library Volunteer), Not pictured: Naomi Young and Amanda Eastin
Much like the many different books behind its walls, the Sidney Public Library has a colorful collection of Librarians, each with their own unique story. Some have joined the team in the past few years, but others have left a lasting impact for decades.
When one thinks of a librarian they imagine a bookworm with glasses; Larami Burner, an employee of SPL for the past 4 years, is a self-professed bookworm and a lover of anything novel. She's the friendly face you see behind the front desk most weekdays, and she always has a good book to recommend. The list of her favorite authors consists of: Colleen Hoover, Lucy Score and Rebecca Yarros; all writers connected to the fictional romance genre. When Burner isn't catching up on her latest reading, she's crafting or baking at home. Her favorite program offered by SPL is the Summer Reading Program which is offered to all ages and always sees a large amount of participation.
The most recent hire for the library is Naomi Young, a native of New York state that grew up in Colorado, has always had a great love for books. "Reading can take you any place you want to go," she says, and making the library a known resource to the community is a goal of hers. She likes to read the works of J. K. Rowling as well as Nora Roberts and finds the genres of romance and comedy to be her favorite, which is obvious by her favorite book – Ella Enchanted. In her spare time she enjoys riding horses, spending quality time with her family and dabbling in photography. When asked her most liked program at the library she replies with zero hesitation, Toddler Tales.
In charge of the ever popular Toddler Tales Program is the one and only, Eileen Nightingale. One of the most recognized faces at SPL, Nightingale has worked as a librarian in the community for 38 years. If you grew up local, some of your childhood summer days may have been filled with her telling you a story on the front lawn of the library. "No one can take away your love of reading, the younger the child is impacted by the library and its books, the easier the importance of them becomes," Nightingale says. Her favorite writer is Jane Austen who just so happens to also be the author of her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. When Nightingale is not reading she enjoys practicing different forms of artwork, tending to her animals, and a nice walk in the countryside enjoying a peaceful sunrise or sunset. Besides Toddler Tales, her preferred SPL resource is the Bookmobile Program which exposes citizens to the library. "Everything is connected to reading, it is a special part of our lives that I hope is passed down through generations," Nightingale affirms, "children are the future."
Speaking of the Bookmobile, its driver, and another new face to SPL, is Heather Rohm. She enjoys reading anything by Carolyn Brown and loves romantic comedy as a genre; her favorite book by Brown, a clean Southern author, is Strawberry Hearts Diner. When not driving the bus or helping at the library, Rohm is tending to her garden or her houseplants. She is an avid lover of the outdoors and has two feline friends at home that she absolutely adores, ZZ and Sammy - both weighing 42 pounds all together.
Another familiar face to SPL, Sandy Nelson, a local to the area she began her journey as a librarian 39 years ago. Her first job straight out of High School, Nelson originally had other plans. What was meant to be a summer job soon manifested into a love for the patrons and books. "Reading feeds your mind, it can take you any where you want to go," Nelson mentions as she tells of her favorite library program, the Summer Reading Program. Some of her favorite authors include: C. J. Box, Linda Castillo, Nora Roberts, Jodi Picoult, Julie Garwood and Greg Olsen. A variety of romance, mystery, true crime, drama and history encompass Nelson's favorite genres.
Rounding out the list is our very own Library Director, Amanda Eastin. A big fan of science fiction and comedy, Eastin's number one book is also written by her favorite author, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. "We have a very talented group of individuals working for the library, each of us offer a diverse skill set," Eastin had to say.
The Sidney Public Library is located at 1112 12 Avenue and is open Monday through Friday 9 am - 6 pm, and Saturdays 9 am - 5 pm.
Cheyenne County native, local business owner.
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