She’s competent, full of energy, and she exudes joy for her job. Her name is Susan Marshall, and she is the Adult Services Librarian for the Hopkinton Public Library.

“I have worked in libraries for many years,” Marshall said. “When I moved here in 2008 and had the opportunity to be a volunteer in my own library in my own community…well I just couldn’t be happier,” she said.

Marshall holds a master’s degree in Library Science, and has lived her life inside of buildings full of books, which she loves, but she also loves all of the other hats she is allowed to wear in her service to others.

“It has been so fortunate for me to have been able to volunteer in my own library in my own hometown and then become employed in the same space,” Marshall said. “People think of libraries as a place full of books, but it’s really so much more. We help folks with research, we teach them computers and we work with them on downloading things to the various devices now available, among many other things.”

Marshall, who loves her community as much as her library, gushes when she speaks of her work and the volunteers she has the joy of working with everyday.

“We have nine adults and at the moment 24 teenagers volunteering for us,” she said. “I am just so thrilled that the teenagers are coming here and loving it enough to spread the word. I won’t turn a teenager away, but I think they really love the work as well. Whether they are here for community service hours or work for the National Honor Society, we just love having them.”

Marshall is also an active member on the Downtown Revitalization Committee and spoke to Patch about the expansion project for the library that is in the works.

“The library, which was owned privately by the trustees, was given over  to the town last year,” Marshall explained. “The town is now 100% financially responsible for the library.”

This allowed the town to apply for a grant for the library expansion. The Hopkinton library building project was approved last July, with a grant award of $4,533,580. The town is on a waiting list for the grant though, so the money may not be released for several years.

“One thing that would help immensely would be if public parking for the downtown area is approved,” Marshall said. “Public parking is one of the main needs for the expansion.”

After having lived all around the country, Marshall moved to Hopkinton in 2006 with a desire to know as much as possible about her new community. She is not a member, but very involved in the 300th anniversary committee.

“I think history is so important,” she said. “Particularly when you are not from the area and you just want to know more, more…I have been a part of programming for the library that collaborates with the public. Our goal is to help to build a living history of the town so that there is a filmed as well as a written version of various things like local trails and Mary Harrington's narration of life in Hopkinton.”

Marshall is quick to point out that she loves her job with her whole being, and she is thrilled to be able to help others.

“I am so pleased to have a job I love, be a part of the community and not commute,” she said. “It has been said that libraries are the heart of a community and volunteers enrich the library, but I need to say that the volunteers enrich me. I cannot imagine going to a job I didn’t love every day, but here I come to work and think; I’m in the library! This is the best place in the world to work.”