PUYALLUP, Wash. — For over 100 years, The Puyallup Public Library has been reimagining and redefining what it means to connect and collaborate with nearby communities. While the library has many exciting new additions on the way, one special person is bringing the library out to the community.
Debi Rinehart has been with the Puyallup Library for seventeen years. She began her career at the library as a “shelver” and now she works as the Community Outreach Technician and host of her own podcast, “Shush! with Debi”.
Debi’s podcast is a new-age way for her to connect people within the community to one another and to the library. She told KIRO 7 that she has been podcasting for a year and half and can proudly say, Puyallup was, “one of the first libraries to do a podcast in the area.”
While busy, Debi also finds time to do special deliveries for 90 seniors at eight different senior living facilities throughout the city who can no longer visit the library.
Debi added that she often checks in with each individual to, “see what kind of genre they like to read or movies they like to watch.” By building a rapport she’s able to curate a collection of materials unique to an individual’s personal interests.
Whether it be a book, audiobook, some music, movies, an instrument rental, or even museum passes, there is always something exciting for Debi to bring.
“I drive to their facility drop off my red bags filled with library materials, and pick up the ones that I bring back to check in so it works really well,” said Debi who also added that sometimes she’ll bring a box of materials to some of these facilities so seniors have their choice to dive into something new.
While juggling many outreach efforts for the library, we asked Debi what is it about what she does, specifically with these deliveries and the commitment that comes with it and she put it quite simply, connection.
“I could just feel it right away it was connecting people to things they wanted either to read or learn and it’s all about the connections,” she said.
To learn more about Debi’s Outreach Services or special deliveries with the library, click here.
You can stream the “Shush! with Debi” podcast on any podcast streaming platform, or you can always count on The Puyallup Library. She posts new episodes monthly. For her latest episode, click here.