Jennie Fidler grew up in Sussex, WI, with her parents and two sisters. She always had a love for reading and learning. While working a part-time job at the public library while in high school, Jennie knew she would love to be a librarian. After college, at UW-La Crosse, she moved to South Korea to teach English for two years, earned her master’s in library science at UW-Madison, and moved to Illinois for her first full-time librarian job. In 2016, she joined the Oconomowoc Public Library’s team as the Special Services Coordinator, running outreach services to seniors and providing programs and services for young families. While at OPL, Jennie has built up a Mobile Library program to bring the library to senior living residences, facilitated StoryCorps recordings to capture the stories and lives of Oconomowoc residents, created and launched Memory Care Kits for people living with memory loss and their care partners, served as interim library director, represented the city on the Silver Streak Board of Directors, and more.
On her own time, Jennie enjoys crocheting, spending time with family, traveling, doing jigsaw puzzles, and snuggling with her cat.
About Jennie Fidler
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My parents, two sisters, and I all live in the area and we get together at least once each week for a meal or to help out with a house project. I have a 3.5-year-old nephew and twin 1.5-year-old nieces who light up my world. I love being their personal librarian who gets to bring them new books every week that we can read together.
Q: Please tell us about your life and what you do (whether working in our community, a business owner, volunteer, etc.). How did you choose that path?
I have been a librarian at the Oconomowoc Public Library since 2016. I oversee our outreach services, which includes my Mobile Library visits to senior living residences with a pop-up library. You’ll also see me coordinating our booths at community events or giving tours of the library. I work in youth services, leading Baby Storytime & Lapsit and other fun and educational programs. I also coordinate our adult volunteers and services groups, and I’m the city representative on the Silver Streak Board of Directors. You can see I wear many different hats! I started off in libraries as a high school student–shelving books as a page was my part-time job. I realized I enjoyed the environment and helping people so much that I chose to make it my career path. When I read the job post for my current position back in 2016, I knew I wanted to work at this library because I could tell the team valued service and connecting with the community.
Q: What do you love most about what you do?
I love the variety of my days. I’ll be out and about in the community one day, running a program the next. Then I’m working the Reference Desk answering questions, spending the day in my office getting emails and planning done, giving Loki our bearded dragon a bath, etc. I get to be with people and then spend time on my own. I get to be creative for programs and then organized and detailed for other tasks. A librarian needs to be a well-rounded person!
Q: What is the most rewarding part?
I love having a positive impact on people’s lives. I’ve helped someone frustrated with a tech problem and have absolutely made their day by figuring out the solution. I’ve had caregivers build relationships during storytime, and create friendships that last beyond the library program. The senior residents I provide books for are incredibly grateful for the service and often mention how access to large print books and tech help has changed their lives for the better. Community members really appreciate the library and the work we do.
Q: What are some of your future goals? Do you have anything exciting coming up that you would like to share?
We are in the beginning stages of a space needs analysis at the library, which will look at the building we currently have and the spaces and services staff and community members would like to see added or changed. This is the first step of any building project, whatever that may end up looking like. We’re still at the very beginning of the process, but it’s incredibly exciting.
Q: What advice would you give to someone interested in doing something similar to what you have done/are doing?
Start getting involved in libraries! Visit your library and go to events, volunteer or get a part-time job, research graduate school programs, and set up a time with a librarian for a one-on-one chat. Librarians love providing information, and sometimes we won’t stop talking about what we do!
Jennie Fidler & Our Community
Q: What is your favorite thing about our community, favorite thing to do, or something unique about our community that you love? (Feel free to share as much as you’d like!)
Oconomowoc has so many events, and I enjoy bringing my family to various festivals. Despite being a rapidly growing community, these events help you connect with the small businesses and community members.
Q: Who is an interesting person you’ve met here in our community, and how have they inspired you?
I worked as a StoryCorps facilitator through a partnership with our library system and StoryCorps. I recorded, and sometimes interviewed, people telling stories about their lives, many of whom I never would have met otherwise. One woman grew up in WWII England, another woman escaped Cuba during the revolution. Other people have shared their memories of growing up on a Wisconsin farm, working to make Waukesha more accessible for wheelchair users, or becoming mayor of Oconomowoc. Many people felt their stories weren’t worth sharing because they felt they hadn’t lived an exciting life. But let me tell you: Everyone has a story to tell! It might not be movie material, but your story matters. If you’d like to listen to our local stories, visit archive.storycorps.org.
Q: Do you have a favorite coffee shop, cocktail shop, or restaurant?
I absolutely love Roots Coffeebar & Cafe. I’ll take an iced mocha and the breakfast burrito any day. Oh, and I also love Sobie’s–that broasted chicken? Yum!
Q: What 3 words would you use to describe our community?
Beautiful, active, connected.
For Fun
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I lived in South Korea for two years and worked as an English teacher. I loved my time there, getting to know many people, the culture, the language, and the food! The experience helped me grow as a person. Because I was on my own in different country, I had to learn to be more understanding of people and cultural differences, patient in situations out of my control, and adaptable to unknown experiences. I think I am kinder and more compassionate because of this.
Q: What is your favorite book, TV show, movie, poem, or song? Why?
Asking a librarian their favorite book is one of the hardest questions we get! But since I have to narrow it down, I usually say that Ruta Sepetys is my favorite author. If you like historical fiction, you need to read her books immediately. For TV shows, I really enjoy comedies, like Parks & Rec, The Good Place, and Ted Lasso. The show I never tire of is Taskmaster, a British panel show where comedians complete silly tasks and are judged in a serious manner. Chaos ensues. For movies, it all depends on my mood. On a snowy day, Lord of the Rings is best. If I need a good cry, Little Women from 1994. If I want something heartful, but funny, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. I could go on and on.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My dad inspires me to be patient, loving, and giving to others. I don’t know if I’ve seen anyone I know put others first so consistently. And our library’s former director, Betsy Bleck, has also been such a mentor to me, and her integrity inspires me. I often think about a phrase she uses: Don’t get furious, get curious. It reminds me that I need to check myself in making assumptions and ask questions without resorting to anger or judgment.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
I taught myself how to crochet in 2021, and I’ve made a ton of things, but I really want to build up my skills and make cardigans or sweaters. I recently found a pattern and bought the yarn to make my first cardigan, and I think I’ll start it by the end of the year after I finish up a few projects I’m currently working on.
Q: What makes you the happiest?
A good meal and spending time with a small group of friends or family after a productive day.
Q: Any general life advice you would like to share?
Remember that most people are just doing their best. We all want love, acceptance, safety, and so much more. Do we give ourselves the chance to not be perfect? Do we extend that grace to others? Let’s challenge ourselves to look outside of our own experiences and points of view instead of resorting to cynicism and judgment. I need this advice as much as the rest of us do.
Where to Find Jennie Fidler
Email: jfidler@oconomowoclibrary.org
Nice To Meet You:
I believe in positively impacting my clients and the community I live in, which is why I jumped at the chance to be an ambassador with “The Faces of Lake Country”. It’s a perfect blend of why I enjoy being a Realtor with Shorewest, Realtors, and everything I love about living in Lake Country.
I truly enjoy being a part of this community and helping others along the way. Prior to real estate, I was an Office Supervisor for the City of Waukesha Park & Recreation Department. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with many business owners and serve the general public. It was there that I realized that it really does take a village to make a community great and each and every one of us plays an important role.
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