STAFF
Karen Ordway
DIRECTOR
Many of you know Karen as she has worked for the library for many years in various roles and has also been involved with the Friends. She is now assuming the position of Director and will bring a wealth of administrative, organizational and financial skills to the position as well as extensive knowledge of library operations and a great love for our library.
Karen grew up in Portsmouth, NH and graduated from Bentley College with a Bachelor’s of Science in Finance and Business Communications. She was the owner of a successful business for 26 years and has also had a successful career in the legal field.
For decades she was a “professional volunteer” for the PTA, library, school, recreation center, and various fundraising efforts. Besides spending time with family, Karen loves reading by a cozy fire, baking, knitting and gardening, and walking her dog.
Elizabeth Noyes
ADULT SERVICES COORDINATOR
Betsy hails from Sumter, South Carolina but after a stop in Massachusetts, will soon make New Hampshire her home. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts and her Master’s in Library and Information Science from Louisiana State University. Betsy is passionate about libraries, which she sees as places where people of all ages and from all backgrounds can connect to each other, to various resources and to their community. She is excited to continue to grow the William Fogg Library’s adult programming and collections and hopefully encourage more young adults to discover everything libraries have to offer. Most important, she is eager to be “that warm, welcoming face you see when you walk in the door.”
An avid foodie, Betsy loves trying new restaurants and recipes, houseplants, knitting, and (of course!) reading, especially literary fiction. She shares her home with her partner, a big cat named Moose, and a Labradoodle named Whidbey who enjoys tearing up cardboard boxes.
John Roe
CHILDREN’S SERVICES COORDINATOR
John Roe promises to bring some wonderful ideas and activities to the Kent Room. John has worked with children from toddler to teen and we love his enthusiasm. Expect the return of Dungeons & Dragons Club, programs on graphic novels, nature-related crafts and in general, lots of fun for all ages.
John has extensive library experience, having worked both the bookmobile and front desk at a public library in Pennsylvania, assisted at the Rice Library, and most recently, served at Ladd Library at Bates College. He is also an accomplished graphic designer, illustrator and video producer. He is an Army veteran and we thank him for his service.
John himself is engaged in a regular D&D club, is an avid reader and enjoys creative computer projects. He is an indulgent pet parent to his terrier mix, Baxter Dave, and cat, Olive.
Laurel Sabera
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMER
Laurel lives in Eliot with her husband and four children. She has a degree in Elementary Education and has worked with children and families in a variety of settings for the last 20 years. She is passionate about supporting families and building vibrant communities.
You can find Laurel in the Kent Room running storytimes.
Jenny Isler
ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN
Jenny is delighted to be a part-time librarian, noting that this “dream job” combines two of her favorite things—sharing her love of books and helping support a vibrant community. She is very active in town affairs, serving as a member of Eliot’s Aging in Place Committee and as a former chair of the Eliot Energy Commission. Jenny holds an MBA in Organizational and Environmental Sustainability from Antioch University NE, and was Director of Sustainability at Clark University in Worcester, MA for 12 years.
Jenny is “at home in the woods or in the city,” and loves reading, hiking (including the Camino de Santiago trail), travel—she’s visited 35 countries and done two round-the-world trips, and gardening. She shares her home with two adorable cats.
Carolyn Strauss
Marketing CoorDINATOR
Carly received her BA in English/Global Environmental Studies at Clark University in Worcester, MA, where she had her first library job. She is excited to use her marketing background to encourage people to take advantage of all the library has to offer. Her goal is to connect more people with library resources, and to help people learn about everything that is available to them through the library. She is especially interested in how marketing intersects with education and community building in a library setting.
Carly loves reading, writing poetry and fiction, and watching horror movies with her cat, Edward.