Meet the Staff - Erin Lankford

Meet Erin Lankford. She is a Reader Advisor with The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

How long have you worked here?

I made the move to Nashville in January 2016, and have been right here ever since.

What are some of the things you do as a Reader Advisor?

I take the calls of the patrons, meaning I am on the phone all day long! I take patrons requests and make sure they get some great reads shipped right to their door. If they don’t know what to read next we suggest great titles based on their interests. I also handle most of the programming for our library including our call in Storytime for children with a Visual Handicap. This unique program has a great following and happens once a month. Check out our awesome Youtube video about how our story time is changing little readers’ lives!

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love making this library known to the public and meeting people who need our services who didn’t know we were out there. Could you imagine not just losing your vision, but also having to give up your reading? That is simply a world I could not live in. Luckily I get to tell people every day that books are still completely within their reach. The joy that our books bring to people’s lives makes the craziest days worth it in the end.

Do you have a favorite collection?

My favorite collection here is the print braille collection that is run by us! I believe in reading. And seeing these books made with both print for sighted children and braille for visually impaired children reminds me that everyone is entitled to literacy. Audio books are wonderful inventions; we ship about 10,000 titles on audio a week! But to be able to read the book for yourself means so much more. And seeing these tools for early literacy for braille readers in a society that calls braille a dying art, gives me hope that braille will never die.

Erin hosts "Virtual Story Time," a new way to experience books. Click HERE to read more.

What makes libraries and archives relevant to modern society?

I have been working in a library since 2005 and I believe that librarians are super heroes. Librarians are there for your whole life too! We help you become a reader, educate you and entertain you. Google can give you an answer, but a librarian can give you the right answer and tell you how to use it.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett