Albert Lean Theresa Schmidt loves to read books, listen to music and watch movies. Her day job is an extension of these hobbies. Schmidt is the library services manager at the Albert Lea Public Library. She is in charge of ordering all of the fiction material — the novels, music and movies.

“It’s like shopping,” Schmidt said.

She said she doesn’t just order what she would want to checkout, she is conscious of what people in the community would like to have at the library.

“The library has to be for everyone,” Schmidt said.

She said she decides on ordering material a number of ways. If the author has a good track record with the library and people in the community like to read that author’s books, she knows to order the new books of that author. She also checks the reviews from other librarians at Library Journal and Booklist.

Age: 41

Address:

Albert Lea

Livelihood:

library services manager at the Albert Lea Public Library.

Family: single

Interesting fact: She was born in England.

Schmidt is also a huge fan of “At the Movies with Ebert & Roper” and sometimes chooses what movies she orders from listening to their reviews. The librarian said she is not trying to compete with the video stores, because they can have tons of copies of all the movies. She is trying to provide something different. She likes to include movies in the selection that don’t come to our movie theater, because that way people can still see them.

She said people are always welcome to suggest items for her to order.

Sometimes she also makes suggestions to library visitors. Schmidt said if someone is checking out something that she likes, she mentions other items they also may enjoy.

Although, she doesn’t expect them to listen to her. After all, she said, she never listened to suggestions of her librarians when she was growing up.

The books that Schmidt likes to read are mostly mysteries. Right now she is reading “Generation Kill” by Evan Wright. It’s about the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It is also a miniseries on HBO. But her favorite book might just have to be the Harry Potter series. She said she re-reads everyone every year. Each time a new one came out, she started from the beginning and read each book before reading the new one. She has read the first Harry Potter book at least eight times.

“Luckily, I read very fast,” the librarian said.

As far as movies go, Schmidt said she likes anything as long as it has an interesting storyline. She said she watches everything from “Die Hard” to “Pride & Prejudice.”

Something that you might never guess about this Albert Lea librarian is her favorite kind of music — alternative punk. But at the same time, she said, she also enjoys pop, classical and country.

How she became a librarian

Schmidt studied German and humanities at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph. She wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do, but her aunt and uncle were librarians and her mom suggested maybe she should try doing that.

Albert Lea Lions Club (past president on the board)

On the Children’s Center board

Schmidt went to the University of Iowa for her master’s degree in library science. She originally wanted to be a librarian at a museum or historical society and was able to get a job at the Iowa Historical Society. After being there one week, she decided this was not the job for her. She left the historical society and after graduating went to work as the library director in Glenwood near Alexandria. She was there for two years before coming to Albert Lea.

She said she came to Albert Lea because it was a larger library, they had new technology and it was so beautiful.

“I have the best view at my job than any place in Minnesota.”

Schmidt started out as the children’s librarian. After five years there, she became the young adult librarian for eight years. She has had the title of library services manager for two years now.

Schmidt said she loves the people in Albert Lea and enjoys visiting with the library patrons.

“It’s fun to share with others something I enjoy and others tell me the same.”