Karen Horner was hired as the Park County Library System director in July, when Frances Clymer retired after 16 years in the position.

What excites Horner about the job — and to some extent all libraries — is how they can morph into what the community needs them to be.

“For me, the library has become the community center,” Horner said. “We are the Grange, the afterschool programs that are gone, they are the homeschool connection, a social hangout and a nice place for seniors to come to.”

“Whatever the community needs or wants, it is our job to deliver,” she said.

Originally trained in agriculture, Horner was drawn to her local library when her children were young and she was a stay-at-home mom. There, she discovered craft programs, art and storytimes put on by librarians.

“I thought this was the coolest job ever,” Horner said. “I found out there was a job doing what I was already doing with my kids.”

So she returned to school and earned her master’s degree in library science.

Horner was working as cultural services agency director and county librarian in Mendicino County, California, where she oversaw the county museum, five libraries, a bookmobile program, outreach van and nine county parks.

The properties were very disperse, Horner said, with some of them a two-hour drive from any other installation.

She and her family were not what she calls “stereotypical Californians,” in that they lived in a rural area, enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, hiking and most other outdoor endeavors. They had visited Wyoming several times and thought someday might like to live here. When she saw the Park County job online, Horner applied, thinking the candidate pool would be enormous.

The application was made in December 2019, and COVID hit in February, changing everything. The entire state of California went into lockdown, including the facilities Horner oversaw.

By spring, though, Horner knew she was in the running for the Park County position. She started researching further, and discovered Northwest College had a program in the field her husband was pursuing as a encore career. In June, she was asked to come to Cody for an in-person interview and eventually landed the job. By that time, the housing market in the area had gone crazy and Horner started work while living in her travel trailer, parked in a rented spot at Powell.

Eventually, though, the family was able to purchase a home that they viewed only by video within hours of it hitting the market. The family moved to Cody, and Horner continued to focus on the communities’ needs. She found there was already a lot to work with.

“These are great libraries, with great programs and great staff,” she said. But her hopes include improving outreach to areas in the county that do not have a brick-and-mortar building.

“My office might be in Cody, but I want to serve the whole county without stamping out the uniqueness of each library,” she said. “I want to hit Clark and east of Powell and Wapiti.”

There is much talk about the budget cuts hitting various entities in the state, and libraries will probably also feel the pinch soon. That prospect doesn’t faze Horner, who said the budget is what it is.

“Libraries usually have small budgets anyway. So we set priorities and goals to utilize what we have in our wonderful patrons and Friends of the Library,” she said. “Customer service doesn’t need a budget; any cuts we make won’t be in service. Eliminating service is never an option for me.”

Horner believes the opposite is true, that as the economy tightens, people need their libraries more. There they can use computers to search for and apply for jobs, take advantage of WiFi and borrow books, movies and music for free entertainment. It is a safe, welcoming environment for students to enter after school, where they can do homework, read or listen to music and even chat with friends.

“Libraries aren’t silent anymore,” Horner said.

A majority of residents know about their library, but may not be aware of how the offerings have changed with the times and continue to update themselves. Some of the opportunities include learning a language at no charge, searching for jobs, art programs and chances for children who aren’t confident readers to sit and read out loud to dogs, creating a judgment-free audience. Some programs are currently limited because of COVID restrictions, but they will be revisited as the pandemic subsides.

“Do you want to start a business? We have the resources here to answer those questions,” Horner said. “If we don’t have it, we can find it. Whatever you want to do , there is a 99% chance we can make it happen for you.”

How does Horner want to change the services going forward?

“As county library director, I want to spend lots of time in Powell. How can we better serve the community here?” she said. “I want us to be what the community wants the library to be.”