Meet Derrion Arrington, Reference Librarian at the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC)! Derrion began working for MLC back in January of 2018. He holds a dual bachelor's degree in History and Sociology from
Tougaloo College. Derrion and a small team of researchers answer simple questions (Can you
get me the number to Waffle House?) to tough ones (How much radiation
would someone soak up from an undetonated nuclear bomb?) all day long.
Patrons can come to the building in Jackson for assistance, but they also by send
questions by mail, Facebook, phone, etc. The team answers thousands of
queries each month, mainly from Mississippians, but also from people in
different states, and even different countries. Derrion says answering
people's questions is his favorite part of his job because he seems to
learn something new every single day. He also assists with collection
development and shelving.
Derrion says he likes libraries for several very good reasons. "Libraries provide free educational resources for everyone. They are also safe refuges for the homeless and underserved populations." He also appreciates all the books they offer because he loves to read. He says, "With my background in history, I still read a lot about it. My favorite book currently is
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond." Derrion also plays the saxophone and writes. Writing is his favorite hobby; he focuses on historical events here in Mississippi, especially those dealing with the Civil Rights Movement and the Civil War.
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