Aces of Trades: Sean Fennell found his home in public libraries and Muskingum County
ZANESVILLE – It took some time, but he feels like he’s home.
“When I was a kid, I wanted to be Indiana Jones,” recalled Sean Fennell. “That changed when I got older and realized being an adventurer was not the best life choice. In high school, I became more interested in science and art. I was involved with the choir program, touring and performing in competitions for vocal performance.
“The visual arts have always played an important role in my life,” he continued, “which continued throughout high school. Despite my love of the arts, I became fascinated with biology. There was something incredible about discovering the interconnectedness and functions of the world around me. So, I started college as a biology major and came to understand that it was the arts that appealed to me the most. Now, I just had to decide between the visual and performing arts. In the end, I decided to focus on pursuing my goal of becoming a working artist and professor.
“I spent the majority of my 20s working towards becoming a working visual artist and professor,” he added. “I went directly from graduate school to working as a full-time instructor. After spending two years in Denver, where I also worked as a digital archivist, I began teaching at Bucknell University as a visiting assistant professor. In the meantime, my mom and stepdad moved to Ohio to be closer to his family. I moved to Ohio as a place to land and apply for jobs. While I was applying for teaching jobs, I came across a branch clerk position at the Licking County Library and applied as a way to pay student loans and such. I also taught at COTC before starting at the Muskingum County Library System. However, once I started working at MCLS, I stopped teaching entirely and focused on my newly found career path in public libraries.”
Today, Fennell is the marketing and community relations director with the Muskingum County Library System.
“I create campaigns highlighting our library's value,” he explained. “I manage staff, oversee social media, coordinate public information initiatives, and handle media relations. I also cultivate relationships with community leaders, drive fund development, and serve as the Friends of the Library liaison, all to boost our library's visibility and engagement with our community.”
Fennell, 41, grew up in Oregon, graduated from high school there, then Willamette University, majoring in visual arts with a minor in art history, then earned a master of fine arts in visual arts with a concentration in photography and digital media at Washington University in St. Louis.
“I didn’t plan to dedicate my working life to public libraries,” he said, “but I’m grateful I found my way to them. While I was applying for teaching jobs, I started working as a clerk at the Hebron branch of the Licking County Library. Within a year of starting, I began a new job as the library system's emerging technologies specialist. That is where I fell in love with public libraries. I saw the positive impact public libraries have on so many people’s lives. It’s an incredible feeling working for an organization that’s open to and serves all parts of the community.”
Stephanie Freas is the library’s assistant director.
“I’ve had the pleasure of watching Sean grow his career in libraries,” said Freas, “from reading in small rural communities, to building eBook collections and technology classes, to now providing marketing across Muskingum County. He finds creative ways to get everyone engaged, from campaigns to read 2-plus million minutes over the summer as a community to promoting free tutoring help for students, to quickly adapting our library services during the COVID lockdown. He’s done all of this while being heavily involved in community organizations like Kiwanis and Leadership Muskingum. Sean embodies all that we strive for in Muskingum County – hard work, community, and making this the best place it can be for everyone.”
“While my path was a winding one,” Fennell responded, “it’s led me to a place I’m proud to call home. I get to live in a beautiful part of the country and work for a place I believe in, all in a community that feels like home. I’m where I belong – at the Muskingum County Library System.”
Muskingum County Library System is located at 220 North Fifth St. For more information, call 740.453.0391 or log on www.muskingumlibrary.org.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at trnews@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Sean Fennell had other career dreams, then he discovered libraries
