Meet Charlie Simpkins, Special Collections Coordinator at the Mississippi Library Commission! MLC's kits collection is geared toward meeting public libraries' programming needs, and Charlie is in charge of all things kit here at MLC. He identifies new and interesting products libraries could want or need; then he acquires them so that Mississippi libraries can use them in their communities. The range of items is wide and all-encompassing: from kits focusing on STEM skills, 3D printers, and building kits that fire the imagination and promote learning, to board games, puppets, storywalk, and book club kits that make learning as a community exciting and fun... MLC has them all and Charlie is their curator. He also handles training libraries in kit use, as well as other MLC training needs, and he catalogs our giant large print collection as new books arrive. Charlie loves his job. He says, "My favorite part is getting to hear stories about how excited patrons get at library programs. Getting to see pictures and videos that libraries and their patrons share is like spotting a rainbow on a stormy day. It hits me right in the feels.”
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Charlie began working at MLC in June of 2018. Prior to that he held positions as Reference Librarian at the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood and Branch Manager at the Northwest Point Reservoir Library, both part of the Central Mississippi Regional Library System. Before jumping into the library world, Charlie taught fourth grade at Highland Bluff Elementary School in Flowood. Charlie holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with endorsements in English and Social Studies. He also holds a master's degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Southern Mississippi.
We asked Charlie what it is that he loves about libraries, and he said, "Libraries equalize the playing field. A library is a place people can go to explore concepts and ideas that they might not otherwise get to discover. I tell my wife that if I don’t learn something new in a day, it feels like a day wasted. Libraries have helped me learn something new so many times because they encourage lifelong learning."
Charlie loves books and loves to read. He says his favorite adult books are probably Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse and A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, but quickly gets distracted listing his favorite children's books. Reading Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes was a transformational experience in college. He regularly recommends Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings and What Do They Do with All That Poo? by Jane Kurtz to his friends, young and old alike. This paragraph could extend into eternity if Charlie had his way.
When he's not championing libraries or reading, Charlie is spending quality time with his wife Kelly and his pup Walden. He likes watching movies and TV, tabletop gaming, attending church, and attempting to write. Charlie has also begun picking up new crafts, like knitting and crochet with his wife.
If you have questions about book, STEM, or other MLC kits, give Charlie a holler at 601-432-4498 or send him an email at csimpkins@mlc.lib.ms.us.
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