On Monday, February 14, the Thousand Oaks Library system got a new Library Services Director, Ms. Jennifer Patterson. Jennifer comes to us from Greensboro, North Carolina, where she served as Deputy Director for the Greensboro Public Library system, with eight locations. You can read the city’s official press release here, but we asked her to sit down with us for a longer conversation so we could really get to know her. She was very generous with her time, and we learned a lot! Read on….
Jennifer says she is delighted to be in California; she says she is enchanted with the landscape, with the constant beauty all around her. So much so, she says, that even while stuck in traffic on the freeway, she could only marvel at the scenery. She’s a nature lover and very appreciative of the southern California hills and valleys and flora.
Our new Director believes passionately in the mission of libraries. They’re essential, she says, because libraries empower people to transform their own lives. But they’re also fun, she points out, because they’re “edu-taining!”
Having a conversation with Jennifer is pretty edu-taining all by itself. While she professed a special love for the DC and Marvel worlds, she says that she reads across the spectrum, and is comfortable being a reader’s advisor for anyone. From Nora Roberts to Eric Jerome Dickey to Richard Paul Evans, she loves authors from every genre.
When pressed to choose a favorite, though, Jennifer finally named Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha as one she has an enduring fondness for. “The book, the movie—which is one they actually got right—to the soundtrack, which is part of my life soundtrack,” she said.
Jennifer’s equally inclusive when it comes to music—she loves it all. From classical to soundtracks to the music of the 70’s. Asked to pick some favorites from that decade, she chose Horse With No Name and Dust in the Wind as examples of songs about the fleeting and precious nature of life, a philosophy that means a great deal to her.
As you might expect from a person who revels in all kinds of music, Jennifer loves to dance, and says she is not shy about being the first person out on the floor. She loves dance as a way of stimulating endorphins and happiness, and of course, as fabulous exercise!
When not dancing, reading, or listening to music, Jennifer loves the thrill of chasing antiques and cool stuff through junk stores and other treasure-hunting places. Asked about her best shopping score ever, she points out a vintage kaleidoscope resting on a stand on her desk, a particularly intriguing-looking piece that yields all sorts of beautiful images when peered into.
Jennifer also enjoys planning and bullet journaling with the Happy Planner line of journaling products, and has a mad crush on Pengems (look it up—you’ll want some, too!). And last, but definitely not least—Jennifer loves games and gaming. Board games, video games, online games, she loves them all. She even manages to combine two of her loves with “Just Dance,” a Nintendo Switch game that promises to turn any space into a dance floor.
Clearly, Jennifer Patterson is a whole lotta fun, but she’s also very serious about her mission at the library. Jennifer’s degree in history, coursework in education, and her experience in retail management all inform her approach to the work that she does and the public she serves.
“I want to give our community the means to empower themselves,” she says. “I believe in building a culture where staff are empowered and trusted to show initiative and pursue new ideas for our patrons. In short, my mission is to improve lives.”
We are looking forward to all the ways you will improve lives here at our beloved library, Jennifer! Welcome!