ABOVE: Danville Public Library Foundation’s Executive Director Natalie Duncan, Danville Public Library’s Board president Mark Denman, and new Danville Public Library Director Christopher Leggins.
During his introduction to the Danville community late Monday afternoon, 30-year-old Chicago native Christopher Leggins, recently hired as the Danville Public Library’s new director, recalled entering Illinois State University as an aspiring actor. But when he joined the team at ISU’s Milner Library, something changed.
AUDIO: I just wanted to kind of serve my community through these plays. And I realized I was able to concretely do that working in the library. Either than was from me helping the elderly lady who needed to get access to her social security by accessing her e mail. Or I’m helping folks find resources in our community for homeless folks. And that settled in on me, and I realized “this is the job I want to be doing for the rest of my life.”
Leggins earned a Masters in Library Science from the U of I, then returned to Normal to work at both ISU’s Milner and the Normal Public Library. Danville Public Library Board president Mark Denman said what the board saw in Leggins was someone ready to serve.
AUDIO: Not only his qualifications and his confident manner; but his philosophy of community service, of outreach to all the parts of the population. And I think he’s going to bring a new perspective to our library as we move forward to new endeavors.
Danville Public Library Foundation Executive Director Natalie Duncan liked what she heard while talking with Leggins earlier on Monday.
AUDIO: A lot of what we talked about was how we were going to concentrate on outreach into the community.
Leggins says he sees a community that desires exactly that.
AUDIO: When I arrived in Danville, I see a community that seemed to be curious and interested. I think one thing that the board pointed out to be; that they wanted to get the community more involved in the library, and that’s what attracted me to the job.
Leggins’ first day as Danville Public Library Director will be Monday, November 3rd.
