Published 22nd July 2011, 3:49pm

Those who’ve already met the new Cayman Islands Public Library Services Director, Kaurri Claire ‘KC’ Williams-Cockfield, won’t soon forget her bright smile, enthusiasm or go-getter attitude.

A career librarian and educator, her enthusiasm for her field and her conviction that libraries can make a positive difference in the quality of people’s lives, is so infectious it may even rub off onto others. And that’s exactly what she wants!

"I love what I do and I know I am going to really enjoy the opportunity to do what I love here in the Cayman Islands," KC noted.

"Ultimately, libraries are about the people they serve. I hope to lead the growth and development of the public library system into a vibrant, responsive institution and to build community relationships between businesses, organisations, residents and visitors."

Appointed on 17 May, she said accepting the position gave her "a fantastic opportunity to experience a variety of cultures and people."

She added, "I have been in Cayman for almost three months and I’m already a better person from my experiences here. I am excited to join a very capable team who’ve ensured that Cayman’s public libraries continued to move forward over the past two years."

Education Minister, the Hon. Rolston Anglin, JP, welcomed Mrs. Williams-Cockfield to his Ministry’s team stating, "We’re happy to have KC with us. Her background and qualifications make her an asset to our library system as we bolster efforts to promote reading and literacy within the Cayman community, and move our library services into the 21st Century."

Asked why she became a librarian, KC recalled a childhood experience: "My earliest memories of the library go back to when I was a little girl with my father. He took me every two weeks to the wonderful children’s section of the Gulfport Public Library.

"There I selected my ten books, which he read to me repeatedly, every night for a fortnight. That’s one of my most precious memories - the time spent with my father and the early experience with stories and books."

From Southern Mississippi, Mrs. Williams-Cockfield brings a wealth of experience in library management, information technology and training skills to Cayman’s library system.

Her career has included stints as system director for the Sevier County Public Library System in Tennessee, technology programme coordinator for the Gulf Coast Education Initiative Consortium in Mississippi, and library director for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Gautier.

She holds a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a class AA Media Specialist Teaching License, also from Mississippi. She’s a member of the American Library Association, and plans to transfer her Sevierville Rotary and Lions Club memberships to the Cayman Islands.

(GIS)