Tyree tabbed as new librarian

By Staff, 01/5/17 1:43 PM

PRESCOTT – Theresa Tyree has been named as the new librarian at the Nevada County Library.

Tyree has worked at the library since 2008, starting as a volunteer with Joyce Gibson and staying on when Gibson retired and was replaced by Terri Vandiver, who recently retired.

Tyree is originally from Kansas City, MO,where she taught math and education for Rockhurst College. She is the youngest of nine children and has eight older brothers. She also taught at the Edison Charter School in Kansas City.

However, she gave up teaching to care for her ailing mother, but later returned to the work force as a curriculum coordinator for the Urban League,and later as an information associate for St. Luke’s Hospital.

She met her husband, Joseph, who has family in Prescott, but was raised in St. Louis, MO. He was also a teacher and the two met when he was teaching in Kansas City and married in 2008 after dating for 10 years. His mother taught literature in the Prescott School District.

Tyree said Gibson and Vandiver groomed her for the position of librarian. Moving to Prescott from Kansas City, she said, was a culture shock as she wasn’t used to everyone knowing everyone else. “I was nervous. I didn’t know any of the patrons or what they needed.” This changed under Gibson’s tutelage as Gibson never met a stranger and was well-versed in the reading habits of those who frequented the library. Her education continued under Vandiver, who also knew what the library patrons wanted and needed, and helped Tyree understand how to meet their needs.

“I learned through them,” she said. “They taught me to learn out patrons to better serve them and the community. It was different for me coming from a big city.”

Being able to visit the Mayor of Prescott and Nevada County Judge, she said, has taken some getting used to, but is a positive thing. “I enjoy living in a tight-knit community.” She added the Friends of the Library, City of Prescott and county have also been a big help with the library.

At this point, Tyree doesn’t have a lot of plans for the library, but is working on a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a video surveillance system. Part of the reason behind this, she said, is because the library offers wi-fi, and there are those who hang around outside after hours and vandalize the plants and watering system.

She is also looking into plans to get students in grades four through nine to use the library more, especially for reading. Tyree said the younger children enjoy the different activities and older students come to the library for the computers and wi-fi access, but the other age group doesn’t show much.

Tyree is also looking to purchase a smart TV for the community room, which will allow for more and different types of programs to be offered and held at the library. “We need to keep up with technology,” she said. “We’re also looking into buying a digital microfilm reader for the genealogy room as the analog equipment is obsolete. The library, she continued, gets a lot of visitors looking up their family histories, especially in the summer.

She is looking for grants to help pay for the updated equipment.