New faces at the Waterbury Public Library
July 10, 2026 | By Claire PomerThere are a few new faces at the Waterbury Public Library. The two newest members of the library’s staff are Carolyn Picazio, the new library director, and Shelby Gagne, the new youth librarian.
We sat down with them to learn more about their backgrounds, their love for libraries, and how they came to their new jobs in Waterbury. Picazio started in April and Gagne arrived in June.
Waterbury Public Library Director Carolyn Picazio joined the staff this spring. Photo by Gordon Miller
CAROLYN PICAZIO, library director
Q: Where are you from?
A: McIndoe Falls, Vermont. It’s a village in the town of Barnet, in the southern part of Caledonia County in the Northeast Kingdom. (Picazio now lives in Montpelier.)
Q: Which high school did you go to?
A: St. Johnsbury Academy. I enjoyed it very much. I think it probably changed my life. I had the best Latin teacher, probably in the history of the state. No offense to any other Latin teachers.
Q: And where did you go to college?
A: I completed my undergraduate degree in classical civilizations at UVM.
Q: Any thanks to that Latin teacher?
A: Heck yeah, man. He was the number one reason. Graham Newell.
Q: Why did you decide to go into library sciences?
A: When I was growing up in McIndoe Falls, my mom was the cleaning lady at the library. She had the keys and I would let myself in and sit under a window and read all of the books when the library was closed. It was my happy place and my sanctuary as a little kid. When I had my own children, my younger daughter is a person with a permanent genetic disability, a pretty rare one, and working in a library is very child-friendly. It’s an open public space, so it was a really good option to be able to bring my daughter to work with me when I couldn’t put her in a traditional daycare, and we didn’t have the funding to put her in an expensive or specialized daycare, if such a thing even exists in Vermont. So I went to Syracuse and got my master’s degree in library science. I’ve worked at a variety of libraries all over the state. When my kids were really little, I worked at a community library in their elementary school.
Q: You came to Waterbury from the Montpelier library.
A: I was at the Kellogg-Hubbard library for about 10 years, and I had two different jobs there at different points. I was director of library services, and I was co-director.
Q: What are the differences?
A: Operationally? Very little. At different points, we had three administrators or two administrators, and that was really the long and short of it. It was kind of the level of interaction I had with the Board of Trustees, but I was the chief librarian either way.
Q: Why did you choose to come here?
A: The former library director here [Rachel Muse] is a good friend of mine, and when she let me know that she was leaving, she said, “You know, you should apply for my job.” And I was looking for a change. I wanted to do something a little bit different, and I really believe at their core, libraries should be municipal. Kellogg-Hubbard is a nonprofit. That definitely has some advantages and some drawbacks, but I think that civic benefit organizations should be civically funded, and so I latched onto the opportunity to do the work that I love in a municipal setting.
Q: What are some of your jobs here? How would you describe the library director position to someone who doesn’t know?
A: I get to do a few things that you would think of as being very traditionally librarian-y, so today I’m behind the circulation desk answering phones, checking books out to people, placing holds. I order all of the materials that are in digital collections or for the adult collection. Those are very traditional, but I’m also a manager of people, so I’m a departmental manager and a liaison for the town. Anything in the library, the buck stops with me.
Q: What are some of your plans for here in the future?
A: There is already a really good strategic plan in place, so building on some of the things in that plan that have already been done, like making connections with other community organizations. We have a relationship with the Historical Society and the Rec department and Bridgeside Books. I just met with a representative from Makersphere to figure out ways that we can collaborate. And then I’m a very procedural person. I love a manual, so codifying some of our procedures and getting things written down.
Q: What should more people know about the library and what it has to offer?
A: People have a lot of preconceived notions about libraries being these quiet spaces that are full of books. With a library card, you can watch streaming video from home. You can download audio books for your next road trip with your kids. We have a really diverse library of things: we have lawn games, and a telescope, and a metal detector. We’re also connected to about 30 other libraries directly through our consortium, which gives Waterbury residents access to about 700,000 physical materials that are either in this building or can get shipped here with about seven days’ advance notice. We have vital records and digital newspaper archives. If you come in and ask us, we can probably connect you to it.
Shelby Gagne is the Waterbury Public Library's new youth librarian. Photo by Claire Pomer
SHELBY GAGNE, youth librarian
Q: Where are you from?
A: Colchester
Q: Did you go to Colchester High School?
A: Yeah
Q: And where did you go to college?
A: I went to Pace University.
Q: That’s in New York City, right?
A: Yeah. It was a quirky little school. I majored in sociology and anthropology.
Q: Where did you get your master’s degree?
A: University of Kentucky. I did it online.
Q: What made you want to work in a library?
A: I always wanted to, I just didn’t really understand how to when I was younger. And when I went to college, I went in for film, and I was interested in film archives and all that. So I was always interested in museums and [archives].
Q: Have you worked at any other libraries before this?
A: I did an internship at the Library of Congress for about three months in 2022 and then I was working at the Bixby [Public Library] in Vergennes for about a year.
Q: Why did you choose to come to Waterbury?
A: There wasn’t any really big reason. I was ready for a change, and it’s a lot closer. I live in Winooski, so the commute was kind of awful in the winter. It was a lot on my little car.
Q: Were you a youth librarian in Vergennes?
A: Yes.
Q: How would you describe your position to anyone who wouldn’t know?
A: I work on developing the children’s collection, so I pick out and research any of the children’s books and movies. I plan, research, and run all the children’s programs. It’s really just working on early literacy steps.
Q: What should more children and parents know about the youth section of the library and what it has to offer?
A: More people should know about the library of things and the fact that they can check out themed books, movies, audiobooks, puzzles, and stuff like that. I’ve also started doing a make-and-take craft table. Kids can either do it here or take it home to craft, and it changes weekly.
Coming up at the library
The library has programs for visitors of all ages throughout July.
Adult Summer Reading Bingo lasts until Aug. 15, and bingo cards can be picked up at the front desk of the library. Some upcoming events include “You be the Historian!” with the Vermont Historical Society on Friday, July 17 at 1 p.m.; Dinosaur Dig on Thursday, July 23 in the Children’s Garden; and Sensory Playtime on Friday, July 31, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
The library will be co-hosting its monthly collaboration with Bridgeside Books – a Silent Reading Party on July 14 at 5:30 p.m. on the Waterbury Reservoir Dam. And gaming master Evan Hoffman also has a special role-playing gaming session planned for Saturday, July 18, 1-5 p.m., when he leads Nations & Cannons, a Dungeons & Dragons-type game with a Revolutionary War twist in a nod to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The Waterbury Roundabout posts monthly library program highlights. See the July program post here. For a complete list of all programs and events, visit waterburypubliclibrary.com.