In his school days, Blake Lynch often had a “big biography project” to tackle. It might be a paper on Martin Luther King, Jr., or Alexis de Tocqueville. When the school’s resources fell short, he would turn to The Library. 

“The Library had lots of information which proved to be vital to ensure that my projects or research papers were accomplished and really outperformed a lot of other people,” Lynch says. “There were great tools there that helped me do better and grow.” 

Today, Lynch builds bridges between Harrisburg police and the community. He also helps citizens meet their needs – perhaps helping someone overcome food insecurity or find the resources to deal with domestic violence or child abuse. As a part of The Library’s Community Story Corner video project, Lynch read Breathe, by local author Julia Mallory and illustrator Taqiyya Muhammad.  

From all his research papers, Lynch tried to absorb lessons from the towering figures of history.  

“You’re able to glean from history and learn and hopefully grow and utilize that information every day,’’ he says. “Maybe you can remember some of the lessons they learned, so you don’t have to repeat their mistakes.’’ 

What are you reading? I normally read for an intended purpose. My goal this year was to read more, and at least one book a month. I’m on number 12 this year, and the year’s not over yet. Right now, I’m reading John C. Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Rules of Leadership. 

Why that book? That’s a book I’m reading to grow as an individual, trying to be prepared for opportunity, if anything were to present itself. How do you manage people? How do you become more effective in the community you’re serving? It’s about working with the business community, as well. How can we do that a little more effectively and better? 

What do you think is the importance of The Library to the community you serve? Libraries are a vital tool that really help our communities, especially helping people who live in urban and rural areas, which may not have quality access to broadband internet or other information that may be vital to that individual’s success. Libraries are a wealth of knowledge and access and opportunity for all of us to become better.