What is the best way to get to know a librarian?  By getting them to dish about books, of course!  Here we will introduce you to one of the librarians of Chelmsford Public Library. This month, we spoke our new Head of Reference and Information Services, Todd Bowser. Todd (he/they) came from the Midwest by way of Rhode Island by way of Texas by way of Michigan by way of the North Shore by way of the Carolina Piedmont. After playing in bands and working in kitchens for twenty years, Todd attended UMass-Lowell as a born-again student and then earned his library science degree at UNC-Chapel Hill. They still love to cook for family and friends given the chance and own too many cookbooks. Todd’s reading habits include books on social justice issues, speculative fiction, essays and poetry. They love making music, outdoor adventures, slow cinema, and making friends through all of the above.

We asked Todd…

What was your first library?

Lexington! (Davidson County, North Carolina)

What’s on your nightstand right now?

An empty teacup; The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk, which I have barely cracked.

Which book(s) do you love to suggest to patrons?

Every Naomi Klein book, any Octavia Butler book, Complete Stories by Clarice Lispector

Why do you love being a librarian?

I love working in the library because it’s for everyone. 

Where is your favorite place to read?

In the hammock.

Who is your favorite character from a book?

Mario Incandenza from Infinite Jest

What book should be adapted to film but hasn’t yet?

The Oryx & Crake trilogy by Margaret Atwood

What is the last book that made you laugh or cry (or both!)?

Lots of books make me laugh!  I cried at the end of The Shining. (Really!)