13 Questions with: Anna Beth Reece
October 22, 2026
Youth Librarian, Hoover Public Library
Who inspires you in your career?
Mr. Rogers! He thought everyone mattered and cared for every person, particularly children, regardless of who they are and where they come from. I strive to treat people with kindness like him.
The first job you ever held and at what age and your first position in the library and/or information services field?
The first job was at a shop girl called Initially Yours in Enterprise, AL at 17 years old. You should see me wrap a birthday gift!
My first gig in the library world was doing internships at the Birmingham Museum of Art’s library and the Birmingham City Archives while in undergraduate program. I found my joy in public libraries a few years later!
Why a career in librarianship?
Initially, I wanted to be a museum curator with my history degree and that turned into interest in archives and libraries. I then turned my focus to school librarianship but got a job shelving books at my current library, Hoover Public Library, and the rest is history. Public librarianship is a far-reaching gift, and one I’m glad I landed in for the long haul!
Coolest thing in your cubicle or office?
I’m really into dinosaurs and when I was on maternity leave with my first child, my coworker changed my drawer handles to dinosaurs! So now, everyone else has regular drawer pulls but mine are triceratops.😊
What is your guilty pleasure?
I don’t feel any guilt about this, but I could eat my weight in Nerds Gummy Clusters, and I will watch any Tom Cruise movie in existence. He’s so fascinating to me!
Career advice – what’s your top tip?
Invest in your work but also invest in your coworkers. Your job, particularly library work, is very focused on the public, and rightfully so, but taking time to show your coworkers your support is important. Create the work culture you want to be a part of – it takes effort!
What is something people would be surprised if they knew about you?
In my youth, I was a competitive meat judger.
Proudest moment in your professional life?
Honestly, anytime I can see a family through lots of stages of life. It’s amazing to see how evident the role the library plays in the lives of families. A mom called me her “family’s librarian” one day and that made me so proud. What an honor.
If you had 24 hours all to yourself, how would you best like to spend it
I’d love to be on the beach reading and eating yummy snacks during the day. At night, I would go see a theatre performance or movie with a delicious dinner. There would also be wine involved.
If you didn’t work in the information industry, what would you be doing?
I said recently that if I wasn’t doing this job, I could see myself being a school PE teacher. I love kids and I love exercise and I think that would be a fun way to keep my energy high.
Finish this sentence: “In high school, I would have been voted the person most likely to … “
Be a performer. It was a small school so keep that expectation low – ha!
How do you stay current in your field?
It takes work! But constantly conversing with your colleagues about how to improve, both in your local branch and with librarians in surrounding areas is important. There’s always something to learn.
What would you like your headstone to read?
Adored Wife and Loving Mother.
The aim of our charge is love.
Since May 2026, library workers and library patrons from around the world have gotten to know Anna Beth and her colleagues through Hoover Public Library’s viral bookflip videos on Instagram.
Here are 5 more questions with Anna Beth about the videos and what’s next!
View this post on Instagram
What inspired the book flip videos/reels?
The Puerto Rico song! It was a real earworm for me and the lyrics really made me think of materials we see in the library. It caught on!
How do you decide what songs gets featured?
Occasionally, it’s what’s trending (like “Babydoll” by Jamie Miller or “Training Season” by Dua Lipa) and sometimes it’s time sensitive (like “September” by Earth Wind and Fire). Most of the time it’s whatever song our social media team starts to sing spontaneously in harmony – ha! The more random, the better! I think part of what people like about these videos is that the songs often jog a memory or place in time for them!
What has the response to the videos/reels been like?
The response has been insane! The online traffic and new followers really exploded over the summer, particularly after we were featured on Good Morning America. People from all over the globe are engaging with a public library in Alabama – who would’ve thought?!
Any advice or tips for libraries taking on a creative outreach project?
If it’s something you personally enjoy and think that your own patrons might engage with, try it out! You never know what will work out, and it doesn’t hurt to start out on a smaller scale and tweak a project as you go. Also, when it comes to putting yourself on the internet, the more you over-think it, the more awkward it will be. Just have fun with it and don’t take yourself too seriously!
What’s next?
More book sync videos! We are going to keep it up until we run out of creative juice. Luckily, the process doesn’t take too long to put together, particularly for something that yields such engagement. We’ll likely do some holiday things in the coming months to promote some of our library festivities!
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