Kristi Chadderdon is the spreader of library love. I am serious, she spreads library love throughout La Porte County, making sure everyone, young and old, student and non-reader, is aware of what the library has to offer.
Chadderdon started working at the main branch of the La Porte County Public Library in spring 2014, becoming the pubic relations director.
Before this position, she drove a school bus for the special needs children of La Porte Community School Corporation, which allowed her to work on a similar schedule with her only son, now in college.
Chadderdon was born and raised in La Porte, attended Purdue Northwest and spends everyday somehow, someway in the community.
She calls herself the “connector” thanking her some-what bossy personality for having the inclination to know what people need and guiding them to where they need to go and who they need to talk with.
In her position at the library, her main responsibility is getting the word out.
“My main focus is social media and marketing and getting the community to know about all the great things going on at the library and making sure they are aware,” she said.
Over the entire 2016 year, the La Porte County Library branches have had some amount of construction, whether it was a new building like the Fish Lake and Hanna branches, or just reconstructed and remodeled, like Union Mills.
The main branch located on Indiana Street in La Porte has undergone a huge amount of work, adding a new teen-only space, a new maker space, where lessons on technology will take place, and an entire new layout. It will re-open in the next couple of months, Chadderdon said.
“It has been somewhat of a roller coaster these last eight months,” she admitted. “It’s been a wonderful challenge we have figured out to get through, but I cannot wait to get back to the main building.”
The temporary space, where Chadderdon and her employees are now working from, has not been an easy place to accomplish all of the things the library does, but they have done well and relied on other ways to function.
For Chadderdon, that meant more reliance on social media and more connections through the newspaper and other publications.
“Word of mouth is really important, so I try to go to as many community things as I can, lunches, meetings,” she said. “I want to make sure everybody knows what’s going on.”
Chadderdon spreads the library news during the many, many outings she partakes in for the multiple organizations she is a member of, such as being an ambassador to the La Porte Chamber of Commerce and was one of the main leaders of the Bicentennial Torch Relay for La Porte. She also was asked by La Porte Mayor Blair Milo to serve on the City of La Porte Human Rights Commission and she recently resigned from the Parents and Friends board, after many terms.
“I like to keep myself busy. I teach art classes, I just can’t seem to sit still,” she said.
In addition to being an avid reader of both print and audio books, Chadderdon spends her weekends shopping at antique and thrift stores, collecting things to repurpose.
“I’m an avid crafter, I say avid re-purposer. I spend a lot of time repurposing my finds into fun new things,” she explained. “My son and husband would just say I’m a collector of junk, but I look at it as vintage finds that need a home.”
Chadderdon is a lover of books, spending time with friends and family, and living within the La Porte County Community.
As she attends local festivals, stores, and events, she is meeting new people and former friends, connecting them to each other and to the wonderful things the county has to offer, particularly what the library has to offer.
The main branch doors will open sometime in February, a day the entire community will celebrate.
“People who don’t use the library…” she said, breathing in and letting out a huge sigh…”they just don’t know what they are missing.”
Check the website: laportelibrary.org for updates on the building construction and grand opening date.