Meet the adult services librarians
Our staff have a wide variety of interests and talents. They’re happy to help you choose just the right book, track down the information you need, or learn something new.
Bashiru
Location: Main Library
Bashiru was born in Brooklyn, New York but grew up in Nigeria. He received his undergraduate from Brooklyn College New York in broadcast journalism. He has worked at Brooklyn Public Library and Library of Congress then moved to Durham County Library as a library associate. He is also a member of ALA and NCLA.
Carter
Location: Stanford L. Warren Branch Library
Carter has worked as a reference and special collections librarian for 25+ years in academic and public libraries. He has contributed reviews and articles to nonprofessional publications and professional journals. He has served as a research assistant for numerous published books and documentary films such as the highly acclaimed ESPN documentary Black Magic which examined Civil Rights era America through the prism of basketball at historically Black colleges and universities. Carter’s personal interests are numerous, but he is especially interested in the visual and performing arts, bibliography, history, horticulture, world and American literature, ethnomusicology, design and craft, architecture, anthropology, psychology, etc. Carter does not have a favorite book per se as each book and subject area he reads provides him with some insight he did not have previously. Carter has lived, worked, and traveled in many foreign countries and locales within the United States; thus, he considers himself a citizen of the world.
Pronouns: he/him
Desiree
Location: North Regional Library
Desiree grew up in Utah before moving to North Carolina in 2005. She loves reading young adult literature – especially books that make her cry. Desiree will talk for hours about our digital resources like Hoopla and OverDrive. When she is not working, she is usually hiking or playing with two pit bulls.
Pronouns: she/her
Edward
Location: Main Library
Edward was born and raised in Nigeria before moving to the United States. He has a bachelor’s of science degree in chemistry from the University of Calabar, Nigeria. He also has his master’s in library science from NCCU. He has a heart for helping people; thus, he loves working at the Durham County Library.
Emily
Location: North Regional Library
Emily is a native of Ohio who loves living in Durham. Her favorite resource on this website is NoveList Plus, an amazing place to go for book recommendations, series order, and so much more! A few of Emily’s other favorite things: LIBRARIES, reading, walking, helping people, cats, more reading, book clubs, and bringing interesting people from the community into the library to share useful information. Also reading.
Pronouns: she/her
Jason
Location: Main Library
Jason is a North Carolina native. He received his undergraduate degree in history from Saint Augustine’s University and his MLS from North Carolina Central University. Before joining Durham County Library, Jason served as reference librarian at the Forest History Society in Durham. During his free time, he enjoys building and tinkering with computers.
Jessica
Location: South Regional Library
Jessica is the Adult Services Manager at the South Regional Library. She grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan and moved to Durham in 2008. She has a master’s degree in creative writing from Kansas State University, and a master’s in library science from Wayne State University. She has loved the library for as long as she can remember, and when she was nine, she turned all her books into “library books” by making cards and pockets for all of them. When she’s not busy being a librarian, she loves to spend time with her son and her two wacky dogs, read, draw, and work on her photography.
Pronouns: she/her
John
Location: Main Library
“Far over the Misty Mountains cold, To dungeons deep and caverns old, We must away, ere break of day, To seek our pale enchanted gold…”
Pronouns: he/they
Laura
Location: South Regional Library
Laura works at South Regional Library. She enjoys reading historical fiction, fantasy, and forgotten middlebrow titles of the 1920s through 1950s. In her off time, she enjoys baking cupcakes, petting cats, and collecting tiny things from Japan.
Pronouns: she/her
Mara
Location: East Regional Library
Mara grew up in Illinois, and one of her fondest childhood memories is attending her local library’s annual Floats and Funnies event where she would watch Looney Toons and sip on a root beer float. In her free time, she enjoys having board game nights with her friends, seeing live music, reading (a few of her favorite books are In the Distance by Hernan Diaz, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson), and playing video games. She is passionate about providing equitable and inclusive programs and services for all community members.
Pronouns: she/her
Natalie
Location: Main Library
Natalie is an Adult Services Librarian at the Main Library. Her career began in a small, rural library in western North Carolina. She is an avid crafter and particularly enjoys helping adult and senior customers find creative outlets and learn new skills. She is usually reading a young adult fantasy series, true crime, or a good ghost story.
Pronouns: she/her
Phil
Location: East Regional Library
Phil is a Tar Heel alum who dabbled in several dozen professions before settling on librarianship. He is an independently published fantasy author who is active in the regional writing scene and is slowly figuring out how to convert his love of fantasy football into another secondary career. Phil continues riding his bike to work, even though he’s been struck by moving cars on a number of occasions.
Pronouns: he/him
Raivynn
Location: Southwest Regional Library
Raivynn is an Adult Services Librarian at Southwest Regional Library. Born in Ohio, they have moved around quite a bit in pursuit of education and the perfect scoop of ice cream. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Information, they are passionate about digital literacy, diversity, and accessibility in libraries. They are a big fan of almost every genre of music, graphic novels, and (not too thrilling) thrillers. When not roaming the stacks, they enjoy going for hikes, baking, and hanging out with their partner.
Pronouns: they/them
Tonja
Location: Main Library
Tonja was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. She received her undergraduate degree in sociology from North Carolina Central University and her M.L.S. from North Carolina Central University. She has worked in various departments for numerous years at Durham County Library. She enjoys helping people of all ages. She takes pride in providing excellent customer service. Tonja is an advocate for lifelong learning. In her time off, she enjoys spending with her family, cooking, reading, outdoor recreational activities, performing arts, and community outreach.