Whiting hires King as new children’s librarian

Whiting Library, 117 Main St. in Chester, is welcoming Carrie King of Chester as the new Youth Services librarian.

King replaces Stephanie Kaufman, who became children’s librarian in January and left to become a librarian at the University of Texas.   

King will be bringing to the job a wonderful sense of community, a love of literature and a career of service. She says,  “My adoration of reading, libraries and the natural world became evident as a very young child. …  I am excited to integrate these appetites into the Whiting Library.”

King earned a bachelor of science in Liberal Studies with concentrations in Peace Studies and Human Services from SUNY Binghamton before moving to Washington, D.C., where she worked in the Archives Library of National Public Radio cataloging radio shows. She loved advancing the search for information and making new discoveries, and enjoyed helping her excel and thrive.

Since moving to Chester with her family in 2004, King started the Grateful Garden, a school and community garden at Chester-Andover Elementary School, served as a Whiting Library Trustee, coached the Skillet Takes, an award winning GMUHS Jr. Iron Chef team, and worked as executive director of the Nature Museum in Grafton.

King will be hosting Friday morning story time to help children develop early literacy skills, as well as a love of language through music, movement, books, poetry and art. There is also a drop-in LEGO club after school. She is here to help youth “navigate and discover the endless paths to knowledge and through this, to better understand themselves.”

Whiting Library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.