New employee is a novel addition to the library

RANDOLPH – When Lisa Karnes talks about her new job at the Lied Randolph Public Library, people assume she sits and reads books all day.

“It’s so much more than that,” she said, finding herself busy planning children’s programs, scheduling speakers, and working with the Makerspace equipment, among more routine library duties like shelving books. “You don’t just get to do one thing; you get to work with all the parts of making the library work.”

Karnes, who lives 10 miles north of Laurel, has joined the Randolph library team of Becky Miller, Betty Gross, and Director Peggy Leiting. Karnes takes the place of Katie Miller who left for another job, although Katie still works at the library when needed, especially for Chess Club and for any 3-D printing needs.

Karnes started in mid-August while Leiting was on vacation, learning the ropes from other staff and leaning on her previous experience and education.

She previously worked with both the Laurel and Hartington libraries, served as a Laurel library board member, and took classes online to receive a Public Librarian Certificate. Most recently she had taken time away from library work to help her husband, Joel, on the family farm north of Laurel, and took stints away from library work to raise her children: Ali, Sarah and Craig.

Karnes’ friends sent her the Randolph library’s Help Wanted ad on social media, asking her, ‘Wouldn’t you like to do this again?’ And, the rest, as they say, is for the history books.

“Lisa is very personable with all ages - great with little kids and great with 90-year-olds,” Director Leiting said. “She’s very energetic and ready to pitch in with whatever. In a bigger library, you’re the children’s librarian, or the cataloger, either this or that. Here you get a little bit of everything.”

Although Karnes is familiar with Randolph and has some family connections, she’s still getting to know people, especially the children’s faces and names. “I’m just so excited to be here and so blessed to be given this opportunity,” Karnes said. Along with new personnel, the Randolph library is excited about a $10,000 gift from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. As part of its 250th anniversary, the Carnegie Corp. gave all the Carnegie and Carnegie descendant libraries the gift.

“It was just out of the blue. I almost thought it wasn’t real,” Leiting said. “It was one of those emails you almost get rid of, thinking, ‘That’s not right.’

Even better? The unexpected financial gift comes with no strings attached.

“There isn’t anything directly that we’re thinking of (to use the money),” Leiting said. “I think we’ll put it out there and see what people think should be added to the library – think outside the box even.”

Earlier this summer, the library received a grant from the Nebraska Library Commission for a bike rack. The rack was made by Cardinal Cam, Randolph’s school-based metal fabrication business.