OCONOMOWOC — Jen Puccini found a love of reading a little later than some librarians, but when she did, it led to her making it the center of her career.
Now as the director of the Oconomowoc Public Library, Puccini wants to make sure it’s meeting the needs of the community, from reading materials to programming.
"I always like to say that libraries are the hub of the community, and we are here to provide the services to the community," she said.
Puccini’s first day as the director of the Oconomowoc library was Aug. 7, replacing Betsy Bleck who left the position in spring to become deputy director at the Brookfield Public Library.
The first few months in Oconomowoc have gone really well, Puccini said.
"My first impression was that the leadership team is a great team. They are very established, and are a very hardworking leadership team, which is nice when you are starting as a director," she said.
Prior to coming to Oconomowoc, Puccini was director of the Burlington library, and before that, she worked at the Waterford library. It was in college that Puccini truly fell in love with reading. She graduated with an English degree and got a teaching degree. She taught for about 10 years. After moving to Waterford and having her first child, she began to fully appreciate what a local library can offer. She ended up getting a part-time job at the Waterford library in the teen services department and went back to school to earn a master’s in library science.
Now that she’s operating the Oconomowoc library, Puccini said, she is focusing on creating plans for its future use of space. She said that before she was hired, the Friends of the Library raised funds to conduct a space study. The study will look at whether a new library should be built or if an update of the building it currently is in at 200 W. South St. is best. Puccini said she would like to look at getting the study started in the early part of 2024.
With building costs rising at about 4% each year, Puccini said it would be best to get started sooner if a new library building is deemed the right way to go or a renovation is needed.
Puccini believes that investing in libraries is beneficial because while they have changed a lot during recent years, they continue to be a great resource for the community.
She said libraries used to offer only a few programs, but now they can be in the hundreds, and all are free. It’s in the programming that the future of the library lies, Puccini said.
In addition to continuing to offer relevant programs, Puccini said she would love to see coffee shops in libraries, creating a Barnes & Noble-like environment. She also doesn’t believe they need to be a place of total quiet, but a place where people come together and talk and share.
