Meet MLC Monday: Josh Saxton

Our Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Josh Saxton may have started at the Mississippi Library Commission back in August of 2017, but from February through October of this year we had to make do without him: his National Guard unit was deployed overseas. We welcomed him and his expertise back with open arms last month! Josh is in charge of all major equipment and systems at MLC, as well as everyday maintenance and monitoring. He holds a national EMT certification, HVAC/R certification, and a universal EPA license. He is currently working on an associate's degree in history.

Josh says that he likes working at MLC because of the atmosphere and the people. He also enjoys lunches with co-workers and paid days off to spend with his family. Josh is a big library fan and says, "I believe libraries play a tremendous role in education. They offer books, the internet, and other paths of knowledge to people who otherwise can't afford them." He loves to read Stephen King books; the last one he read was The Drawing of Three. In his free time, he likes playing guitar, working out, games and gaming, fishing, and sightseeing.

Meet MLC Monday: Sandra Tucker

Sandra Tucker is the Janitorial Supervisor at the Mississippi Library Commission. Since she joined our team five months ago in May, she has done an exceptional job in making sure that our facility is clean and inviting. Sandra says she likes working with all the friendly people who work at MLC and says one of the best parts of her job is greeting the staff and public who visit the library.

Sandra enjoys MLC's quiet environment. She also says, "I like libraries because you can always visit and learn something new. They're an important part of our community because people use them to study and find books that are the right fit for them."

Sandra isn't a big reader, but does like to read the Bible. She shared Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus with her grandmother recently and both of them had a great time reading the children's classic. In her spare time, Sandra likes to spend time with her family and attend church. She also likes to stay active by walking and playing tennis and softball.

Meet MLC Monday: Annie Watkins

Annie Watkins joined the team at the Mississippi Library Commission a year ago as our Collection Management Librarian. She adds new books, comics, DVDs, and special items to MLC's collection, as well as new documents to the state document depository. She also removes holdings that have been weeded from the collection. Annie holds a master's degree in Library and Information Science. She confesses that one of her favorite parts of working at MLC is that she has her own office; at her last job, she had a desk in a shared office. "It's nice to have my own space!"

"I like libraries because they provide a needed service to the public. They don't provide just entertainment, but also a place to learn and relax," says Annie. "I love libraries because they allow me to keep up with literary trends and to find new and interesting authors." Annie says that she loves to read, but doesn't have a favorite book and rarely rereads them. The last book she read was Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater, but says that it was "complete garbage" and doesn't recommend it. When Annie isn't working or reading, she loves playing video games. "I’m big into Overwatch right now. I usually main healers or Junkrat when I get sick of people spamming 'I need healing' even though they’re halfway across the map or in the middle of enemies, but I’ve recently discovered the pure joy of playing a tank and decimating my opponents."