New Assistant Director and Adult Services Manager at the Library

Lisa Buckton – Contributed photo

San Juan Island Library announced today that it has welcomed its new Assistant Director and Adult Services Manager, Lisa Buckton. Lisa moved to San Juan Island from Vermont and holds over ten years of librarian experience across Vermont and New York State.

In the last five years, Lisa co-created and hosted Vermont’s first-ever teen literary festival, Teen Lit Mob, as well as brought national-level programming, including Exploring Human Origins, a month-long traveling Smithsonian exhibit, and Nasa @ My Library, a two-year nationally funded grant, to the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington, VT.

Most recently, as the former Director at the Jericho Town Library, she oversaw the redesign of its intergenerational programming space, as well as expanded its youth and young adult areas in collaboration with community organizations and artists. She holds an MLIS from the University at Buffalo and an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Lisa believes it is the role of the librarian to not only encourage and increase literacy and access to information, but also to help patrons develop into knowledgeable, dedicated, and innovative digital citizens, lifelong readers, researchers, and empowered library users. It is her utmost passion to engage with communities and cultivate safe spaces to explore resources, identity, community, and joy.

In addition to her librarian zeal, Lisa is a writer and Senior Poetry Editor of 3Elements Review. Her work has been featured in PANK, The Writer’s Chronicle, Hayden’s Ferry Review and more.

When not creating new connections for folks at the library or writing, Lisa can be found indulging in knitting and subversive embroidery, playing the cello and ukulele, dabbling in pottery, or exploring the great outdoors. She is particularly excited to master the art of sea kayaking and learn all about the flora and fauna of the island.

Lisa could not be more thrilled to be welcomed to the San Juan Island community and be a member of the San Juan Island Library team! She looks forward to meeting you all soon! If you would like to contact Lisa directly, you can reach her via email at: [email protected].

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