The Immokalee library has just hired a new branch manager, Georgeann McNatt Gosch. Originally from Orlando, Georgeann has been interested in the library all of her life. However, when she originally went to college to become a doctor. She stopped going to college after she met her husband and took time off from school to raise her family. Twenty years later, she decided to go back to school and get a degree in Graphic Design. This led her to get her AA in Literature, where she started working for the University of Central Florida (UCF). She went on to get her Bachelor’s degree from UCF.

Afterwards she had to decide how she would use the degree and with the help of her professors, she thought about working at the library. Georgeann then began looking into Library degrees, unfortunately, there was only two colleges in Florida: USF and FSU. She got her Master’s degree online from USF while working full-time at UCF. Luckily for Immokalee, there were no library degrees in Orlando. She looked into Library jobs in Collier County because that is where she and her husband got married. She began working at South Regional Library as a Public Service Librarian. After three years, she was promoted to the Branch Manager in Immokalee.

Georgeann states “I am excited about this new opportunity in this close knit community… everyone is friendly, it’s a hometown environment.”

As the New Branch Manager, Gerogeann wants to bring families and the community closer together. One of the things that she enjoys is reading to toddlers and preschoolers during “Story Time” which is held every Tuesday morning at ten. She further wants to outreach to the community and educate them on the free programs that the library offers such as computer classes and technology help. She also has her Plant Specialist visiting schools and the Boy’s and Girl’s Club to let students know about programs the library offers. “We encourage everyone that comes in to get a library card so they can check out books and other materials,” she said.

Some upcoming events are “LEGO CLUB” on January 15 at 3 p.m., “Family Game Day” on Saturday, January 18, “Chalk the Walk” at 10 a.m. on January 23, and “The Amazing World of Reptiles” at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 25. If you are interested in any of these programs or want to see what else the library has to offer, stop by the library, and Georgeann will be happy to inform you how the library can help meet your needs.