Faces of the Valley: Nancy Hagins takes on multitude of duties as Freeport librarian

Nancy Hagins does just about everything but write the books at the Freeport Area Library.

The head librarian for the past decade prepares financial reports in the mornings, ensures programs are on schedule for the afternoons and evenings, maintains the Dewey Decimal Classification System and prices items in its flea market.

“I’m enjoying my time here or I wouldn’t be here,” Hagins said. “I enjoy coming in and talking with people about books.”

Hagins has been with the library for 14 years, including the past 10 as its top administrator.

She served as assistant librarian in her early years and learned how to run the library from former head librarian Pamela Eberle, who retired after more than 25 years at the library.

“She was a sweetheart,” Hagins said. “Everyone liked Pam. I learned a lot from her because of how she treated patrons (and) how she interacted with them. I think she instilled in me a love of the interaction of talking about books. She also helped me immensely (with ordering books). That was a concern that I had that I was going to order the right books for the library. Once in a while, I order an egg.”

Hagins, 68, said the library survives on memberships, donations and its three flea markets each year.

It also receives some contributions from Buffalo Township and Freeport. Major improvements are funded largely through grants.

Covid impacted the library greatly, causing two shutdowns last year and cancellation of its flea markets.

Hagins said things have started to get back to normal, and they are seeing more patrons return. Masks are optional inside the library.

Family life

Hagins was the third of six children of Lawrence and Elizabeth Kelly of Buffalo Township. She had two brothers and three sisters.

Their father was a steel worker for Allegheny-Ludlum in Brackenridge. Their mother served as a medical secretary for Allegheny Valley Hospital.

Growing up, they had a large family garden full of carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and other produce. Hagins recalled how her mother would can a lot of foods and preserve vegetables while still saving plenty for the neighborhood.

“Anybody that came to visit them had their truck full of something,” Hagins said. “It’s just sort of a mindset in this area that you give. You’re generous. If a fire happened, people go and help out.

“People help each other out in this community, and I’m not talking just the township. I’m talking Freeport (and) South Buffalo (Township). This is the kind of stuff that happens around here. That’s sort of the environment I came from.”

Hagins said she still lives in her hometown, about a mile away from her childhood home.

She and her husband, James, have been married for 48 years. They have a son, Jamie, and a daughter, Emily Lampus.

Jamie Hagins works as a financial controller for Saint-Gobain in Latrobe, and Lampus is a kindergarten teacher in the Freeport Area School District.

Education and occupation

Hagins graduated in 1971 from Freeport Area High School, where she was a cheerleader and played intramural sports.

She said she was not much of a reader until she got to college nearly three decades later, seeking an associate’s degree in business management from Butler County Community College. She graduated from there in 2002.

“That sparked my love of reading classic books and biographies,” she said. “I love nonfiction, and from there I’ll read just about anything. From my studies in college, it just piqued my interest in things that I never was interested in in high school. Then I raised my family, and so I didn’t have time to read.

“I think it’s an important part of being a librarian to be able to read different types of books and be able to discuss them with people.”

Her favorite author, she said, is the novelist Jodi Picoult.

Hagins works with D&J Video when not at the library. The former video store owns a building with apartments and storefronts in the borough. Hagins has a partnership with the company and helps with its financial records.

Teen Lounge

The latest library project spearheaded by Hagins is a Teen Lounge inside the children’s section.

The library was able to get a nearly $1,800 grant through the Armstrong County Community Foundation for new books, contemporary furniture, a multidevice charger and other items, including pillows of Facebook’s “like” button and YouTube’s “play” button.

“I went all over trying to get stuff that I thought they would like,” Hagins said.

Hagins said the foundation administered the grant. Money for it came through the John Roher K-12 Education Fund, Ralph & Susan Knepshield Fund for Children & Youth and the John Shoop Fund.

The lounge has been under construction the past few months.

Hagins hopes the area will be a boon to the budding teen book club, which meets at 4 p.m. the third Thursday of each month.

Freeport Area High School students are expected to soon print a 3D sign for the lounge.

The library’s computer lab is near the lounge along with some round tables for reading or studying.

There are about 640 library members, with some as far way as Texas. However, only about 10 teens ususally visit per week.

Memberships cost $5 for youths, $15 for adults or $20 for families.

More information is available at freeportlibrary.org or by calling 724-295-3616.