Children's librarian becomes director in Southborough
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Kim Ivers, new director of the Southborough Public Library

Southborough - It seems that it wasn't "if" Kim Ivers would ever take over as director of the Southborough Library as much as it was "when." After all, this is someone who first walked in the building as a 2-year-old and began volunteering there when she was 9.

Now 34, Ivers was recently named director of the Southborough Library, replacing Kathleen Keenan, who left earlier this year. "It's going well so far," Ivers said. "It's been a little hectic, but it's starting to settle down. I was the children's librarian when I was named director, so I'm doing both jobs right now. Things will become more normal when we hire a new children's librarian, which we're planning to do very shortly."

Ivers grew up in Southborough and attended Algonquin Regional High School, graduating in 1990. While in high school she worked as a library page.

Ivers matriculated to Framingham State, where she was an early childhood education major. She worked at the library during school breaks.

As is the case with most employees in a library the size of Southborough's, Ivers did a little of everything during her part-time days - checking out, checking in and re-shelving books, as well as working at the reference desk.

Upon graduation from Framingham State in 1994, Ivers was hired as a full-time librarian's assistant. She returned to school a year later, to pursue a master's degree in library science, which she received in 1998 from Simmons College.

That was also the year Ivers was named children's librarian, a position she's held ever since. She has also twice served as the library's acting director, the last time being the four months prior to being named director.

"It's always been a second home to me," Ivers said. "I've always loved to read. Anything really, but I especially like a good novel."

Ivers said she doesn't plan on a lot of changes.

"The library should always be the most welcoming place in town," Ivers said, "and I think ours is. I think my first priority will be to make sure it stays that way. It's nice that people always want to drop by and see friendly faces. We definitely want to keep that aspect of the Southborough Library."

Even though she went to college with an eye on becoming a teacher, she knew during her student teaching that she'd probably end up a librarian.

"I did my student teaching in a first-grade class and my favorite part of the day, every day, was reading time," Ivers said. "I just loved reading to the kids and seeing the expressions on their faces. That's what I loved so much about being the children's librarian. It's the first place in the library where I volunteered."

Those comments aren't surprising when you consider her mother, Sandy Kiess, brought Ivers to the children's room at the Southborough Library when she was just 24 months old.

"We'd come in every week and check out stacks of books," Ivers said. "I'd take them home, read them all and we'd bring them back and check out more."