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02/28/2018 07:30 AMAs a child growing up in Clinton, Sarah Borgnis-Tobin’s favorite place to visit was the local library. Years later, making it her workplace was a dream come true for Henry Carter Hull Library’s Adult Program Coordinator.
“My favorite thing about Clinton has always been its library, ever since I used to visit the old library on Main Street as a child,” Sarah says. “It’s pretty amazing to work at the library in the town I grew up in.”
In fact, one of Sarah’s greatest life moments happened at the library: She and her husband, Scott Tobin, were married at the James Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford in 2011.
Sarah has been involved with the Henry Carter Hull Library since 2014, when she began volunteering at the farmers market with Library Director Maribeth Breen. She soon joined the library team as an assistant and took on her current coordinator role in April, 2017. As well as planning free lectures and programs, Sarah’s job includes social media advertising, writing press releases, and creating posters for the events.
“At the library, I love to support people in achieving their goals and I value having the ability to bring new and engaging experiences to the community. I encourage anyone with an idea to stop by to talk. I like to consider myself a professional enthusiast,” she says.
Variety is the spice of great programming at a public library, and Sarah says she’s particularly happy to see the library “turn into more of a community center” rather than the traditional image of a quiet building full of books.
“I try to just bring in a variety of topics. People like to learn about local history...I reach out to museums a lot,” she says.
Two popular events that Sarah cites as among her favorites were the Pokémon Go program at the height of the craze in 2016, and the eclipse-watching event of last summer.
“Some of my favorite events are all age events, where you get people from seniors to toddlers. It can be hard to find these kinds of events but it’s cool when we do,” she says.
An example of the kind of community center programming offered by the library is the Mental Health and Wellness Expo on Sunday, March 18 organized by Sarah.
“I hope that our upcoming Mental Health and Wellness Expo will encourage community members of all ages to seek answers to any questions they have about their mental, emotional, and physical well-being, and also help to eliminate the negative stigma that often surrounds seeking support, because mental health is essential health,” says Sarah.
Sarah says the event could be a chance for people to come ask questions in a “casual setting.”
“I hope people realize it’s for any age status and that they can come find help,” she adds.
Sarah grew up in Clinton and graduated from the Morgan School. She was featured in the Harbor News in 2006 for her efforts establishing Clinton’s “Cast a Vote Against Hunger” campaign.
“My father Gary Borgnis still sets up the ‘Cast a Vote Against Hunger’ sign he made when the polls open at Town Hall,” Sarah says.
She now lives in Madison, but she still has plenty of nice things to say about her old hometown and the surrounding shoreline.
“I love that Clinton is home to many strong and compassionate community leaders and I adore living near the shoreline,” Sarah says. “I like the benefits of being close to the big cities where you can go and come back in a day. Even though I’ve lived here my whole life, I like getting to know the community better.”
As for hobbies outside of work, Sarah enjoys visiting museums, traveling, and going to the beach.
“Living here in the summer is almost like being on vacation,” she says.
As one would imagine from someone that works in a library, Sarah also enjoys reading, particularly non-fiction and poetry.