Marsha Brinson said she’s doesn’t plan any immediate changes now that she’s on the job as the new director of the Lady Lake Public Library.
“There’s a lot to learn,” said the former high school English teacher, who also has an extensive career as a librarian. “My plans for the future are making the Lady Lake Library the center of the town and enlarging our programs, especially for children.”
Originally from Massachusetts, Brinson has lived in Florida for 27 years. She came to Lady Lake from the Leesburg Public Library.
Before that, she spent 10 years in the Sumter County Library System, working at The Villages Public Library at Belvedere. She also served as a children’s librarian in South Florida. She and her husband, John, have a daughter, son and two grandchildren.
The spacious Lady Lake library operates with seven full-time employees, about a half dozen volunteers and an active Friends of the Library group that operates a small bookstore.
“It’s one of the few libraries I’ve worked at that has actual storage,” Brinson said.
Like most public libraries, Lady Lake has embraced technology, offering a growing collection of e-books and audio books that supplement its print offerings. The Lake County Library System also soon may offer streaming video of movies and television programs.
“My first choice would be an old-fashioned book,” Brinson said. “E-books are great for traveling.”
The friends group recently bought a 3D printer that has been set up in the children’s area. The printer makes three-dimensional plastic objects from computer designs. Among them was an intricate model of the Eiffel Tower.
Brinson said Lady Lake is one of two Lake County libraries with one of these printers.