Curiosity 'greatest weapon' for Dougherty County Library Director Gail Evans
May 29—ALBANY — When it comes to institutions, libraries are unique. Fill out a form, get a card and with it a world of information, education and entertainment is flung open.
Patrons can check out books and movies, sit down to read a newspaper or magazine, or use a computer. All for free.
For library personnel, the job entails helping people find the information or item they need in a friendly atmosphere, Gail Evans, director of the Dougherty County Library System, said.
"As far as what it takes, I think one of the first things it takes is you have to be curious about things," said Evans, who was hired in July 2021 to replace long-time Library Director Paula Abbide when Abbide retired. "People come to you for information. I know for me, that's my best tool, that's my greatest weapon, being curious about things.
"Most of what we do is customer service. If you really enjoy helping people, if you have a love of reading, literacy and knowledge, and you love showing that, this may be the job for you."
Evans got her start working in a library early, volunteering so she could get into her high school before the ringing of the first bell.
"I wanted to come into high school early," she said. "At the time, we had to wait for a certain bell for us to get to come in. I did it because I didn't want to stand out in the cold."
Later, she worked in a legal library before she decided to get a master's degree in library science from Clark Atlanta University.
"I worked with a legal librarian who taught me how to research," she said. "I said, 'This is what I wanted to do.' Strangely, after graduating, I didn't go back to being a law librarian.
"After being in a law firm library I was wondering if I could be a public librarian. I really now, looking back, I would definitely say I made the right decision going into public libraries."
After graduating, Evans worked for eight years in the Oconee Regional Library System in Dublin before returning to Atlanta to work. There she was an assistant branch manager before being promoted to branch manager in Gwinnett County.
Evans held several positions with the Henry County Library System in McDonough, and eventually was named assistant library director, the position she held when hired to come to Dougherty County.
Despite the experience of becoming a librarian sort of by accident, Evans has been at her career for 26 years, and she says she loves her job.
"I think it's really just a weird story," she said. "I think most people who come into librarianship kind of fall into it. I know two people who from childhood knew they wanted to be a librarian. The rest of us kind of fell in."
One aspect of the job she likes is that no two days are the same.
"I don't think you can be bored in a library, ever," Evans said. "There are so many different people. I think it's a lot of fun."
