Meet Akeyla Harper, Patron Services Librarian at the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC)! Akeyla serves as a readers' advisor for the Talking Book Services (TBS) department. This includes selecting books to send to patrons and assisting them over the phone with questions about/requests for specific books. She is also involved outreach activities. Akeyla, a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Jackson State University, holds a bachelor’s degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation. She is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.
Akeyla began working at MLC in April of 2022. She loves the services TBS provides to Mississippians. "My favorite part of my job is being able to assist the patrons who we provide this amazing service to. TBS is a great resource for special populations of people who sometimes believe they can’t do things because of a disability." Akeyla has discovered that she really enjoys advocating for listening to books for leisure, as well as introducing new people to the idea of listening to books as a way to improve overall quality of life. She says that these same ideas apply to libraries. "I like libraries because of all the resources they provide, their peacefulness, and the helpful staff. Libraries are a no judgement space filled with books, computers, and more for people to go to for free to open their minds to something new. Libraries are important because they are for everyone."
Akeyla loves to read, but she doesn't have a favorite book, or even a favorite genre. Instead, she prefers to read a variety of stories: fantasy, sci-fi, drama, anime, current events, adventure, mystery, and crime. Recently, she's begun reading more short stories, just for the quickness of them.
When she's not busy spreading a love of reading at MLC, you can find Akeyla playing board games with her kids and traveling with her family. She also likes listening to music, swimming, and being outside on a warm day in the fresh air and sun. Akeyla enjoys games, especially word search puzzles and phone and video games. She also spends some of her downtime watching movies, anime, documentaries, and crime shows.
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