Caitlin Souers – Library Associate
Worked for BPL Since: February 2021
Clare Etheridge – Library Associate
Worked for BPL Since: February 2017
Educational Background: Degree in Fashion Design from Nottingham Trent University UK
Favourite Books: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, the Jackson Brodie books by Kate Atkinson, Mindful Sketching by Peggy Dean and Yoga for Stiff Birds by Marion Deuchars.
Favourite Authors: Anne Tyler, Fredrick Backman, Jamie Oliver, Roald Dahl, Lauren Child
Family and Pets: We moved to St Louis from the UK in 2003 from the cathedral city of Lincoln. We have a dog called Daisy.
Hobbies and Interests: Yoga, reading, drawing, art journaling, Pilates, walking, hiking, being outdoors and cooking.
Gina Gibbons – Library Director
Email: ggibbons@bplmo.org
Worked for BPL Since: September 2007
Educational Background: A B.A. in Language and Literature from Webster University, an MLS from UM-Columbia
Favorite Books: Murderbot series by Martha Wells, Dory Fantasmagory series by Abby Hanlon, Sky Falling by Mia McKenzie, Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, and The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
Favorite Authors: Ross Gay, Brene Brown, Kate DiCamillo, Becky Chambers, James McBride, and Sarah Waters (when, Sarah, when are you going to release a new one?).
Family and Pets: I have one son and 2 dogs, Wheatley and Rudy. One is white and black and the other is black and white.
Hobbies and Interests: Watching St. Louis City SC play, kicking the ball around with my son, walking my dogs, reading, doodling, puzzling, and buying stationary supplies.
Jane Sue – Library Associate
Worked for BPL Since: September 2023
Hobbies and Interests: Swimming, running, reading, painting, and taking care of the family turtle. Not to mention spending time with my family.
Ross Longendyke – Library Associate
Worked for BPL Since: March 2024
Educational background: Bachelor of Arts in International Economics.
Favorite books: Victorian novels, especially those by the Bronte sisters, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy.
Hobbies and Interests: Tennis, basketball, antiques, reading, and classic movies.
Sam Levison – Library Associate
Worked for BPL Since: February 2021
Educational Background: A B.A. in English, emphasis is creative writing from Webster University. Currently working toward an MLIS.
Favorite Books: The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov, The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, The Stranger by Albert Camus, Snow Day by Ezra Jack Keats, Axolotl by Julio Cortazar, The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God by Etgar Kerat.
Family and Pets: Although I do not have any pets, I am currently housing 22 unicorns.
Hobbies and Interests: I am a fan of the subtle beauty of gothic and macabre art. While not particularly talented, I enjoy drawing pictures of mice, working on paper and metal arts, and collecting vintage umbrellas, coats, and purses. I excel in consuming stuffed crust pizza.
Sarah Palmer – Assistant Director and Youth Services Librarian
Email: spalmer@bplmo.org
Worked for BPL Since: October 2018
Educational Background: B.S. in Sociology and a Master of Library Science from University of Illinois.
Favorite Books: I like reading across genres, but I’m typically drawn to non-fiction, graphic novels, and stories with dragons and too many characters.
Family and Pets: My puppies, Bluey and Marci, and my two cats, Foot Foot and Arlo.
Hobbies and Interests: I enjoy gardening, cooking, reading, watching weird movies, and walking my dogs.
Susan Holt – Head of Technical Services
Email: sholt@bplmo.org
Worked for BPL Since: 1997
Educational Background: Master of Library and Information Science from University of Illinois
Favorite Books:
The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
Jane Eyre -Charlotte Bronte
Farewell in Splendor: The Passing of Queen Victoria and her Age – Jerrold M. Packard
Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
The Complete Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle
The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien
Favorite Authors: Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, J.R.R. Tolkien, H.G.Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde, Paul Laurence Dunbar, P.C. Doherty, Stuart MacBride, Robert McCammon, and Barbara Hambly.
Family and Pets: I have a daughter, a dog, and a cat.
Hobbies and Interests: Reading, shopping, cooking, and learning new things.