After four years of working at Trinity, library clerk Rachael Gryder is preparing to move to Tallahassee. Gryder reflects on her journey and the excitement that lies ahead.
“I’ll miss the connections I’ve made, I feel like that goes without saying,” Gryder said.
Gryder has loved the library since she was young. As a kid, she would frequent the library for public story times. The public story times and her parents’ love for reading would help Gryder carry her passion for reading and the library.
“I love libraries,” Gryder said. “I always have. When I was in school, it was my favorite place to be. I was president of the book club, and I was pretty close with my school librarian, so I know what an uplifting space this can be if it’s done right.”
In college, Gryder worked at an undergraduate library at the University of North Carolina (UNC). After graduating from UNC in 2021, Gryder searched for jobs and found a job as a library clerk at Trinity. What drew Gryder to accepting this role was Trinity’s annual Author’s Fest.
“(Author’s Fest) was amazing,” Gryder said. “It set this job above any other I was looking at because that event was incredible. It’s incredible for the school to put that on.”
While that was the initial attraction, it was the community culture that kept her here for four years.
“One of the things I love is that when a teacher is having a hard time or a good time — getting married, having a baby — someone sends out an email and says, ‘Let’s do something for them,’” Gryder said. “I love that community aspect.”
Seeing students grow up and mature over their years at Trinity is a special experience for Gryder.
“I’m seeing kids who I checked out a ton of books to in middle school … we still established that rapport early on,” Gryder said. “It’s been nice to see them grow up and flourish.”
For Gryder, little moments like recommending a book to a student, only for the student to love the book she recommended, can brighten her day.
“There’ve been times I’ve checked out a book to a student and I’m like, ‘I think you’re going to like this,” Gryder said. “And they come back and they’re like, ‘I need to read the whole series right now.’ That’s how I know I’m doing my job right.”
For Gryder, reading can also go beyond entertainment; it can lend students life skills.
“If you can read better, you can write better — and no matter what you do in your life, you’re going to need to write,” Gryder said. “Reading increases your critical thinking skills, too … It’s a workout for your brain.”
Now, Gryder is entering a new stage in her life as she is moving up to Tallahassee. Her partner has landed a medical residency at Florida State, and she is excited for what is to come.
“I’m excited for the new adventure,” Gryder said. “ I’m excited to see a new city.”
