LATHROP – Books were everywhere for Lathrop librarian Suzanne Sutterfield.
Her parents read. Her friends read. Her grandmother was a member of the book-of-the-month club.
So naturally Sutterfield picked up the habit early and it continued throughout her young life and eventually into her latter education – parlayed into a bachelors degree in literature and a masters degree in library science.
And for the last 18 years she has been sharing her love for reading with those in the Stockton-San Joaquin Library System – spending the last five serving Lathrop and its residents in a small but homey branch that just recently relocated into the city’s shiny new Generations Center across from Lathrop High School.
She couldn’t be more thrilled.
“It’s great because you gets lots of families at this branch and it’s wonderful to see kids walking up and checking out stacks of books,” Sutterfield said. “You see lots of the same faces. It’s very cozy and very friendly at a small branch like this.”
Unlike her previous posting at Manteca, it’s only Sutterfield and Library Assistant II Kelly Banks-Taylor handling everything at the branch – from the checking out of books to the reshelving of everything that comes back in.
It’s a considerable amount of work.
A wall along the inside of the library’s south wall showcases local books outlining Lathrop’s history and local authors, and an entire section is dedicated to skateboarding and parkour. A documentary about the legendary Zephyr skateboarding team – “Dogtown and Z-Boys” – sits right next to the books.
“Somebody just checked that out earlier today,” Sutterfield said, pointing at the empty case. “It’s good. It’s definitely one of our more popular ones.”
Transitioning into the modern world, whether it’s offering up DVDs for patrons or providing an eBook lending service, has been a focal point of the library system ever since the digital revolution began. According to Sutterfield, people have remained loyal to the library for a variety of reasons – whether its high school students researching a paper or a loyal reader discovering a new mystery series.
While Sutterfield studied a variety of literary styles while in college, she prefers mysteries and particularly the works of author Tony Hillerman – a mystery crime writer that focused his stories on Navajo Tribal Police. Hillerman died in 2008.
“It’s unfortunate that I’m not going to be able to read any more new books from him because everything that he wrote was so good,” Sutterfield said. “Those are the kinds of books that I enjoy reading the most. I like historical things as well.”
As for her preference on how to read a book, Sutterfield is pretty straightforward.
“Nothing beats the feeling of paper in your hand,” she said. “That’s the best feeling.”