Sarah Shoberg Brings Knowledge to Trenton

By Julie Hill Lehr

As summer nudges toward fall, back to school time comes into focus. Students prepare to begin another year of learning. Grundy County Jewett Norris Library Director Sarah Shoberg and her team stand ready to assist with the endeavor of discovering.

Sarah has been at the helm of the library for just over two years, and in that time, she has come to love the 135-year-old library located at 1331 Main St. The library began with a $35,000 donation from early settler Jewett Norris. The two-and-a-half-story building has stood the test of time. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Early career & education

Sarah’s journey to this position began after her graduation from Chillicothe High School in 2005. She attended the University of Central Missouri and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology. After graduation, she wasn’t sure her chosen area of study would fulfill her and started thinking about what career she really wanted to pursue.

“I thought back on what I loved to do — researching, genealogy and local history — and it drew me to library school,” Sarah said.

She decided to attend the University of Oklahoma, where she earned her master’s degree in library and information studies with an emphasis in archives. While she was in graduate school, Sarah worked at the Carl Albert Center Congressional Archives in Norman, Oklahoma.

“I tried to get as much experience as possible in a variety of library and archive settings,” she said.

She also worked at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. During the summer, she had an internship in the library at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan. Even before graduation, she had a wealth of experience.

Her first job after earning her master’s degree was at the Fort Worth Library, working in its genealogy department as well as the Tarrant County Archives in Texas. She enjoyed the work but really wanted to move back closer to home.

She found a position at Missouri Western State University as an archivist. She worked there for four years before she really started missing working in genealogy. Her next stop was Independence and the Midwest Genealogy Center. Later, she spent some time as an archivist at the Kansas City Public Library.

During that time, she married Colin Shoberg. The couple have been married for four years and have a daughter together.

Landing the job at the Grundy County Jewett Norris Library was exciting for Sarah.

“A lot of my previous public library experience has been in urban areas, and I think that has given me a lot more understanding of the different ways people use the public library,” she said.

“It’s one of the few places left that people can go without the expectation to spend money,” Sarah said. “I love that we are a public space for people to meet and learn.”

She said the library offers a lot for people of every age. The library offers orientations to local schools and home-schooled students. Students get a tour of the library and learn about the physical library and its online resources. They can explore books on the lower floor of the library, which is arranged by age so it is easy for children to find books.

Library resources

The library offers a myriad of resources, including some items patrons might not realize are available. Those include book club kits, games, puzzles and Tonieboxes, which are all available for checkout.

The library also has a Cricut and Glowforge laser cutter available for use, and classes are offered on how to use them. Other classes include painting for adults and, of course, the long-loved Story Hour for children ages 0 to 4.

There are even resources for people who are home-bound. Those who cannot physically go to the library can give the staff a call to get started. For people who are visually impaired, the library recommends Wolfner Library. The library also offers apps such as Libby and CloudLibrary that allow people to check out e-books and audiobooks.

Sarah said the library is always evolving, so patrons should keep an eye on its website, grundycountylibrary.org, to find the latest information. She said she really enjoys working at the library.

“I love helping people,” Sarah said. “Sometimes it’s helping someone print a page or figure out a new phone.”

“It can be so fun and rewarding to help someone find a new book to read and then hear their review when they bring it back in,” she said. “I also love getting to help people with their genealogy brick walls or local history questions.”

Sarah also loves the physical building.

“It is gorgeous and such a special part of the history of Trenton and Grundy County,” she said.

While Sarah is at work, her daughter gets to have special time with Sarah’s parents.

“I was very close to my grandparents growing up, and it means a lot to me that my daughter has the same experience,” Sarah said.

Sarah said Trenton has been welcoming and friendly to her as her role as library director continues to evolve. She is happy to be part of the community and is excited about how the library can continue to serve all of its patrons.