James Region

What is one thing you cannot resist?

 My brother-in-law's pecan pie!

Where is your favorite place to be?

 On the Virginia Tech campus or the Greenbrier River

What is the weirdest job you ever had?

 I ran a hot dog stand at Kings Dominion.

Where is the best place you’ve traveled and why?

Athens, Greece - It was a lifelong dream, it was gorgeous, and the food was spectacular!

What would you do if you were not a librarian?

Exactly what I'm doing now. I'd be a professor of school librarianship!

If you could choose anyone - alive or dead - as a mentor, who would you pick?

 As a life mentor, Maya Angelou. I felt so privileged to see her speak in Richmond years ago. As a library mentor, Audrey Church!

Favorite movie line/quote:

  I won't quote the whole thing here, but it's Chunk's long confession in the Goonies. It kills me every time!

What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?

 I'm boring but practical. I would set up trusts and perpetuities to ensure lifelong financial safety.

What is the coolest (or most important) trend you see today? 

 Information literacy instruction!

What is your favorite food or treat?

Tacos or fried okra

What advice do you give students who haven’t read a book in a while?

Tell me about the movies and tv shows you like, and let's go from there. Also, I often recommend graphic novels.

If you could transform one part of your library, what would you change?

 This is a tough one since I'm not currently in a library. But if I could transform something in all libraries across the state, it would be to ensure strong, reliable, and equitable access to the internet. 

What was the last book you read?

  Currently, I'm half way through reading Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown, but I just finished Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused by Melissa Maerz.

What do you like to do on your days off?

 Chill with my family when my teenagers are home and willing to spend time with me. :)

What librarian job duty has surprised you the most?

  I'm always surprised when I hear some librarians get pulled to substitute in classrooms. 

How do you balance your career and family?