Her gold locks frame her sharp features elegantly as her warm smile welcomes new faces. Her bubbly spirit and silvery voice greet the eager learners pushing open the doors of the library.

As an intelligent soul once said, “A trained librarian is a powerful search engine with a heart.” Ms. Ryan, the new librarian at the Sonderling library, is the epitome of this statement.

She grew up in Bohemia and graduated from Connetquot High School in 1996. Unsure of her future endeavors, she majored in Psychology and Sociology with a minor in English at St. Joseph’s College. After obtaining her Master’s degree in Secondary Education from Dowling College, she pursued a career as an engaging middle school English teacher. Afterwards she went for her second Master’s degree in Library Science from Queens College because she “always likes to have many doors and opportunities open.”

This was yet another way for her to be surrounded by books. In her next job as a Kindergarten Library Media Specialist at Pine Park in Brentwood School District, she found her love for the profession. Due to school budget cuts, all elementary school media specialists were excessed.  After bouncing between several other  positions in the district, she moved into the high school as a 10th and 11th grade English teacher.

When she was in high school herself, Ms.Ryan was very studious and quiet. If she wasn’t exploring a new adventure in stories, she could be found on her own adventure – horseback riding.

One of the reasons Ms. Ryan was so career driven was to fulfill her dream of owning a horse. Working as a full-time educator, a night-school teacher, and public librarian enabled her to achieve this lifestyle goal. She bought her horse Mason as a two year old.  He is now eleven and lives on a farm. Another passion that she enjoys is photography because she feels that it “filters the way [she] view[s] the world.”

Although she is very excited for this new chapter, she misses the classroom dearly. Luckily, she can offer assistance to the classes that come through the library everyday.

Ms.Ryan wants the library to be a place where all students can come and seek help because “the library should be the heart and hub of the school.”