Meet Your New Librarian: Molly Pudner

We are so excited to introduce our new Neighborhood Library Supervisor at the Carroll Gardens branch, Molly Pudner, who has been at the Carroll Gardens Library branch since January.  Molly submitted to our questionnaire so that we can all get to know her a little bit better - enjoy!

FCGL:How long have you been a librarian?

MP: Since 2005

FCGL: Where were you before coming to the Carroll Gardens branch?

MP: Maternity leave! It was great. But before that, I was the Neighborhood Library Supervisor at the Eastern Parkway branch, a supervisor at the Cypress Hills branch, and young adult librarian at the Leonard branch, and I worked a year in Central’s Youth Wing doing teen and children’s programs. I met my husband there, he’s a public school teacher and brought his class to the Central library every Friday! (and dressed suspiciously extra nice those Fridays….).

FCGL:What made you want to be a librarian?
MP: I worked for a family literacy program in Juneau, Alaska for three years and one of the highlights for our families was getting a library card. It puzzled me they did not take advantage of the library before as I used them every chance I got and knew they had so much to offer. And it dawned on me this was my perfect job: incorporating my love of  books, my passion for promoting literacy, and my goals for public service. I’m so proud of the institution of the public library too: a place where all are welcome.

FCGL:What do you like best about being a librarian?

MP: Learning new things every day; helping people; talking about books; keeping up on the publishing world: I used to do this for fun and now it's part of my job.

FCGL: Did you go to the library a lot as a child?

MP: Oh yes. I remember summer reading programs at my local library in southern California. I’ve used libraries a lot throughout my life; while travelling I always sought out the local library.

FCGL: What are some of your favorite books?

MP: I have to say Pride and Prejudice, I'm one of those that read Austen's books several times; they are wonderful every time. I also seek out memoirs of all kinds; Speak, Memory by Nabokov and Are You Somebody? by Nuala O’Faolin are two favorites. I adore Children's literature, the illustrators Helen Oxenbury and Maurice Sendak, and have great love for classics like Roald Dahl and Philip Pullman. I'm currently reading Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel and Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks. I like to have a fiction and a narrative non-fiction going on at once.

FCGL: Do you own an e-reader?

Nope! I suppose I will someday, but I have no plans at the moment to get one.

FCGL: What do you think the role of a librarian is today?  Are books and libraries still relevant?

MP: The library is a vital part of a community for so many reasons. The digital divide is very much real and larger than I think people realize, and we are often the only place people can turn to for help. Job seekers need email addresses to apply for a job, they need computers, and often times don't know how to go about doing any of this. You can find this throughout Brooklyn in great numbers. We are here for English as a second language classes, GED classes, leisure pursuits like arts and discussions for all ages, early childhood programs, parents returning to college needing research assistance - we provide these and so much more. They are incomparable resources. Findings show New York library usage is only increasing, yet our funding is cut every year. It's heartbreaking.

Say hello to Molly the next time you are at the branch!