Meet Our Staff
The people who keep the shelves stocked with your favorite books.
Gina Gibbons
Worked for BPL since: 2007
Educational background: A B.A. in Language and Literature from Webster University, an MLS from UM–Columbia
Favorite books: Murderbot series by Martha Wells, Dory Fantasmagory series by Abby Hanlon, Sky Falling by Mia McKenzie, Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton, and Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Favorite authors: Ross Gay, Brene Brown, Kate DiCamillo, Becky Chambers, James McBride, and Sarah Waters (when, Sarah, when are you going to release a new one?).
Family and pets: I have one son and 2 dogs, Wheatley and Rudy. One is white and black and the other is black and white.
Hobbies and interests: Watching St. Louis City SC play, kicking the ball around with my son, walking my dogs, reading, doodling, puzzling, and buying stationery supplies.
Dakota Cartwright
Worked for BPL since: 2026
Clare Etheridge
Worked for BPL since: 2017
Educational background: Degree in Fashion Design from Nottingham Trent University, UK
Favourite books: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, the Jackson Brodie books by Kate Atkinson, Mindful Sketching by Peggy Dean and Yoga for Stiff Birds by Marion Deuchars.
Favourite authors: Anne Tyler, Fredrick Backman, Jamie Oliver, Roald Dahl, Lauren Child
Family and pets: We moved to St Louis from the UK in 2003 from the cathedral city of Lincoln. We have a dog called Daisy.
Hobbies and interests: Yoga, reading, drawing, art journaling, Pilates, walking, hiking, being outdoors and cooking.
Susan Holt
Worked for BPL since: 1997
Educational background: Master of Library and Information Science from University of Illinois
Favorite books: The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas; Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte; Farewell in Splendor: The Passing of Queen Victoria and her Age – Jerrold M. Packard; Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston; The Autobiography of Malcolm X; David Copperfield – Charles Dickens; The Complete Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle; The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien
Favorite authors: Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, J.R.R. Tolkien, H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde, Paul Laurence Dunbar, P.C. Doherty, Stuart MacBride, Robert McCammon, and Barbara Hambly.
Family and pets: I have a daughter, a dog, and a cat.
Hobbies and interests: Reading, shopping, cooking, and learning new things.
Stacy Jurgiel
Worked for BPL since: 2018
Sam Levison
Worked for BPL since: 2021
Educational background: A B.A. in English, emphasis in creative writing, from Webster University. Currently working toward an MLIS.
Favorite books: The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov, The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, The Stranger by Albert Camus, Snow Day by Ezra Jack Keats, Axolotl by Julio Cortazar, The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God by Etgar Keret.
Family and pets: Although I do not have any pets, I am currently housing 22 unicorns.
Hobbies and interests: I am a fan of the subtle beauty of gothic and macabre art. While not particularly talented, I enjoy drawing pictures of mice, working on paper and metal arts, and collecting vintage umbrellas, coats, and purses. I excel in consuming stuffed crust pizza.
Sarah Palmer
Worked for BPL since: 2018
Educational background: B.S. in Sociology and a Master of Library Science from University of Illinois.
Favorite books: I like reading across genres, but I’m typically drawn to non-fiction, graphic novels, and stories with dragons and too many characters.
Family and pets: My puppies, Triscuit and Marci, and my cats, Foot Foot, Arlo, and Maggie.
Hobbies and interests: I enjoy gardening, cooking, reading, watching weird movies, and walking my dogs.
Liv Scott
Worked for BPL since: 2024
Jane Sue
Worked for BPL since: 2023
Hobbies and interests: Swimming, running, reading, painting, and taking care of the family turtle. Not to mention spending time with my family.
Eva Waswo
Worked for BPL since: 2024
Mika Zans
Worked for BPL since: 2026
