RUMFORD — Ashilynn Hodsdon has joined the staff at the Rumford Public Library as the new adult services librarian.

Hodsdon began her role with the Carnegie library on Aug. 17. She was chosen for the position based on her skills, experience and passion for libraries, according to Director Abby Austin.

“Ashilynn has a lot of library experience already, including working for her college library,” Austin said. “And she had a lot of ideas for programming. She’s focused on paying attention to detail with parts of the job that are involved with cataloguing, that’s going to be really important. Cataloguing is so detail orientated, and Ashilynn is going to pick up on that and do really well.”

She added, “I also wanted someone that our patrons would connect with, and I felt like Ashilynn was that person.”

Hodsdon, who last worked in Clinton, said she grew up in South America.

“I’m just a book person, so seeing all the books, oh, yay!” she said. “The first library I worked at was the Waterville High School library. From there, I worked at my college’s library, the Masters University in Los Angeles, California,” she said.

“I love art, but it’s not like drawing, it’s like crocheting,” she added. “So I’m thinking maybe a crocheting activity, and that is very beginner friendly, but also you can help people who have been doing it for a very long time, at the same time.”

Book clubs also interest of her.

“I’m so excited for starting book clubs,” she said. “We have some manga in there, hoping we can convince to get a few more,” referring to comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. “And we have some young adult books there, too. And a few fantasy books. Hoping (with) those three that I can make book clubs and a general link book club idea. I also enjoy writing, so like a writing group. That would be fun.”

Hodsdon said one idea she was thinking for October would be Maine-specific, like tales and short stories, and spooky things that are individual to Maine.

Austin said about 25 or 30 people applied for this position. She and Assistant Library Director Sarah Cotnoir interviewed the four finalists.

Austin said Hodsdon will be responsible for program development for adult patrons, helping curate the library collection, providing reference help, and participating in the day-to-day operations of the library.

She said Hodsdon’s primary responsibility is adult programming, and then cataloguing.

“She will be assisting me as director with the library’s collection, which is everything from the stuff on the new shelf to old books and whatever artifacts we have,” Austin said.

Austin said the library has a budget for adults services programming.

“I foresee that as we get a following for Ashilynn’s work, to have people come forth and say, hey, I can do this for crocheting or what their ideas are,” she said.

Added Hodsdon: “My big thing is fantasy. If you look in the back, you can see that I’ve made my own little fantasy shelf. I’ve noticed we’ve mixed genres all together because it’s by author, so I was kind of excited to make my own curated fantasy section.”

“It’s going to take some organization, communication and collaboration,” Austin said, “but the staff I’m seeing is really working well right now, and I feel like we’re really coming together and we’re developing a vision with what we want to see happen. Having Ashilynn now as a member of this team is going to broaden that vision.”