Library Staff

Sabrina Lewis - Library Director

Sabrina Lewis became the library director in 2023. She has always loved libraries and is excited to help Avoca's keep being a welcoming place in the community! Sabrina got her bachelor's degree in English literature at Park University in Missouri and previously worked as an elementary school para and substitute teacher after several years of being a stay-at-home mom. When Sabrina isn't at the library, she is most likely reading something, gardening, baking, or playing board games and spending time with her family. Her favorite kinds of books are historical fiction and classics.

 

Kim Gress - Librarian

Kim Gress has worked part-time at the library for over twenty-five years. She helps catalog and enjoys assisting patrons. Kim is also the city clerk for Hancock. Kim and her husband, Mark, raised three sons in Avoca and now have two grandsons. In her spare time, Kim enjoys reading fiction and nonfiction and spending time with her family. 

 

 

Jeremy Hall - Program Coordinator

With degrees in American literature, Jeremy spent the first part of his career in publishing as a project editor and copy editor for various university presses. And after freelance editing for sixteen years so that he could stay home to raise three children, he was eager to continue helping others learn to love reading, which is what drew him to the library. As program coordinator at the library, Jeremy has led the planning and execution of many of the programs for children, teens, and adults, since 2023.

Jeremy's favorite literary genres include modern classics and youth fiction. But he can also be found running the trails around the area or burying himself in whatever quilting project he's working on.

 

Paige Heller - Public Services Assistant

Paige obtained her business administration certificate from Iowa Western in Harlan. Since the summer of 2023, Paige has been working at the Avoca Public Library, where she spends her time organizing the stacks, managing the library's circulation and book sale, communicating with patrons, and assisting the other staff with their responsibilities. When Paige is off work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and passes her free time by reading fantasy books, listening to music, and watching her favorite shows on TV.

 

Pam Paulson - Librarian

Pam grew up in the area and graduated from Oakland High School. She has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with an emphasis in desktop publishing and design and a minor in art from Briar Cliff College, Sioux City. She worked in printing and advertising before becoming a stay-at-home mom in 1998 when her first child was born. Sixteen years and two more children later, Pam joined the Avoca Public Library team and has been there on Wednesdays and Fridays for almost ten years.

Pam enjoys crafts of most sorts, photography, genealogy, and scrapbooking and is currently teaching herself to do watercolor painting. Pam, an avid reader, is also drawn to historical drama, historical romance, fantasy, and fractured fairy tales.