News & Announcements

Print Feedback

Font Size: + -

Meet Tammy Wallin: Library Director

Post Date:01/22/2024

Tammy Wallin, Library Director

One of Hillsboro’s newest residents, Tammy Wallin, is also the new Director of Hillsboro Public Library.

Hailing from Minnesota, Tammy’s diverse experience demonstrates a strong foundation in library services, management, and community engagement, making her an ideal fit for the Library Director position and the City of Hillsboro.

Tammy, tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I studied music education and business at Carroll College in Wisconsin, then went back to Minnesota and started work in nonprofit program management, first in sales/marketing for Minnesota Public Radio and then as the education manager for The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

I took a few years off when my daughter was born, then returned to work at another nonprofit (education manager for Animal Humane Society) before finally landing at Hennepin County Library in 2011. My role at HCL evolved; I was hired as a circulation services manager, served as a management liaison between library staff/patrons and the IT department, and spent several years as a Library Services Manager.

In that role, I managed a regional group of eight libraries and was responsible for several projects and initiatives that affected all 41 of our libraries. My most significant area of responsibility was hiring for all public-facing staff and supervisor roles in the system (with a staff of almost 600, there was constant hiring to do!).

When I’m not working, I’m an avid cook and gardener and do all sorts of DIY projects around the house. I love to be outdoors in just about any capacity and am eager to explore Oregon’s famous hiking and public spaces. My husband and I have three young adult daughters who live in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C.

What experiences in your life led to work in libraries?

I was an early and voracious reader, so while the other kindergarteners were in class learning how to read, I was allowed to escape to the school library, where the librarian introduced me to Amelia Bedelia and Strega Nona and biographies of all kinds of famous historical figures. (She also occasionally gave me chocolate, which certainly didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for visiting the library.)

Even without chocolate, I was always thrilled by all the potential in the library — just look at all the things I can learn! All by myself! — and I couldn’t wait to go back.

I also saw how my family used libraries. We didn’t have a lot of money when I was young. My parents were very frugal, so we regularly made trips to the library for entertainment (romance novels for my mom and VHS movies for the family) and for practical purposes (consulting the Chilton manual so my dad could save money by doing car repairs himself).

The library was always a valuable resource to be used frequently.

As a young adult, I studied education because I loved learning and wanted to inspire others to love it, too. I ultimately decided not to go into teaching but continued my work in education in different ways. So, when a job in libraries came on my radar, it felt like a great fit for me, and it was — I spent 12 years at Hennepin County Library and am excited to start my next chapter here in Hillsboro.

You recently moved to Hillsboro from the Midwest. What about Hillsboro and the Library Director position intrigued you?

As new empty-nesters, my husband and I were looking for a new adventure and decided to look for opportunities in the Pacific Northwest.

When the City posted the Director position, the city name was familiar — one of my husband’s cousins lives in Hillsboro — but we didn’t know much about it. As I researched the area, I was excited to find many of the things we were looking for — a thriving community, big enough but not too big, that was close to the mountains, ocean, and green spaces we wanted to experience.

The library itself was also exciting to me. Despite being much smaller than the system I was in before, it is forward-thinking and innovative, with lots of interesting programs and service initiatives. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be part of it.

What goals are you focusing on?

My primary goal in the first few months is to build relationships with as many stakeholders as possible.

I have a lot to learn to familiarize myself with these libraries, the City organization, and the Hillsboro community. In addition to lots of meetings, conversations, and reading, I'll be shadowing library staff to get acquainted and learn more about the work folks here are doing.

I'll start working on a library strategic planning process as I settle in. The City's administration has identified this as a priority for me. I plan to develop a community-engaged process that results in a strong strategic plan to support and guide the library through the next few years.

What is the most memorable question a patron asked you?

“Where are you flying to next?"

My answer was “Atlanta.”

Damien responded, “It’ll take you 2 hours and 53 minutes to get there unless the weather’s bad, and then it might take a little longer.”

Damien was a regular patron at one of the libraries I managed. Every day, he would come to the library and sit for hours, using our Wi-Fi to watch cockpit videos of airplane flights on his laptop. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of flying and could cite the vital stats of any flight — how long it would take, how many miles it was, whether there was something unusual about the approach to that airport — and shared all kinds of details about the aircraft he “flew.”

Even though he never left his chair at the library, his spot there enabled him to travel the world in his way. Every library has a unique cast of characters, and Damien was particularly memorable.