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    Interview with Brad

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    This summer, I had the chance to tour the Burlingame Library with Brad McCulley. As City Librarian, Brad manages 84 full or part-time employees and a massive collection of a quarter million print books. Brad has a beaming smile and talks about the library with genuine enthusiasm. He was once a pastry chef, but when he decided to change careers, he followed a chef colleague to the library sciences and never looked back. He's always loved books, he said, and is glad to serve Burlingame's readers. Our first stop was the circulation department, which tracks books that leave and return to the library. During the apex of the pandemic, books could only be borrowed through this department, by placing holds. 

    My interest turned to the Burlingame Library’s active Instagram feed; it was recognized by the New York Times and now boasts several thousand followers. BPL has an in-house graphic designer, a rarity in the library world, whose skills are frequently featured on the page. 

    Creativity also spreads to the staff that organize events for the community. Drawing just from my own memories, the downstairs rooms have been alternately converted into escape rooms, cooking competitions, author talks, a royal ball, a puppet show, and a regular book sale. My favorite event was the "Cupcake Wars" inspired competition, which was put on with the help of the Library Board of Trustees. 

    We headed to the teen space next, and Brad mentioned that the teen demographic is growing. Students have used the teen space since it opened in 2015, and enjoy the Fika Cafe right next door. This is part of the life cycle of a library. Patrons use it for their different needs all throughout their lives, from childhood imagination to teenage studiousness to adulthood and old age. In addition to welcoming teens, the library donates books to senior centers, sources some large-print stories, and brings audiobooks to elderly people with impaired vision.

    At the end of my tour, I asked Brad about progress made during his tenure as city librarian. He is extremely proud of his staff who continued to host events and provide resources for the community even during the early stages of the pandemic. And he considers equity when hiring employees and expressed hope that hiring a diverse staff will be second nature in the future. 

    All told, the Library has endless books, events, and resources to discover. Brad said it best: "Come explore the library!"