I visited Eric Hinderliter recently at the Jay County Public Library in Portland, Indiana and was very impressed with what Eric and his staff are doing in Jay County! The staff has a wonderful team spirit – they bonded when their library was flooded in 2014 from a water heater break and have come together to create a new Summer Challenge for all ages.
PN: Are you from the area? If not, where are you from originally?
EH: No, I am originally from Ada, Ohio, which is located off I-75 close to Lima. Marriage turned me into a Hoosier, but I still prefer to root for Ohio State.
PN: What inspired you to work in libraries?
EH: I had no thoughts at all about working in a library before I started my first library job in Van Buren. I was a high school social studies teacher and owned a lawn care business and a restaurant before moving into the library field. Van Buren happened to need a director, I happened to need a job, and I lived in Van Buren. The rest is history.
PN: What is your favorite thing about working for your library?
EH: I like the fact that I have an opportunity each day to work with a group of people to make a difference in Jay County. Continue reading