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10/21/2015 08:30 AMThe Hagaman Memorial Library has been a part of Chris Hemingway’s story for more than half of his life—and as a distant relative of Ernest Hemingway, he can safely say the literary field is in his genes. Chris always loved the library and growing up in East Haven, he spent many hours visiting the Hagaman Memorial Library.
“I always liked reading and books,” says Chris. “I’d come here as a child. I always thought it was an amazing place and I wanted to be a part of it.”
As a junior at East Haven High School in April 1994, Chris was looking for an after-school job. A friend mentioned that the library needed help, so Chris walked there after school to inquire.
“I said, ‘I heard you were looking for help,’ and they said, ‘When can you start?’ and I started right then and there,” says Chris, the valedictorian of the St. Vincent De Paul Class of 1991.
Chris began his career as a library page, returning books to their shelves. After graduating high school as the third-ranked student in 1995, he went to UConn, where he earned degrees in political science and history.
“I always loved reading, books, and libraries. Growing up, I thought I’d be a writer, though I also loved politics,” says Chris, who interned in Washington, D.C., during his college years. “I knew I wanted to be in the field with books. When I got the job in high school, it was something I didn’t want to leave.”
While Chris didn’t head into college with the intention of becoming a librarian, he returned to work in the library during school vacations, working in several positions. He spent time at the front desk, doing custodial duties, and updating the website. In 2001, he was hired full-time.
“I worked my way up,” says Chris, who earned his master of library science from Southern Connecticut State University while working full-time at the library.
Chris is now the Hagaman’s reference librarian and intra-library loan librarian. He also continues to help “wherever they need me.” He spends a lot of his day-to-day working at the library’s main desk or the children’s desk and helping patrons with questions.
“Having lived here my whole life, you know all of the people who come in,” says Chris. “I enjoy meeting new people and helping them find things. It’s great to help find that book they want to read or help kids with a homework project. It’s about helping people.”
Chris has found that his history background has been a useful tool, as has his interest in genealogy. He credits his family with instilling the passion for learning, reading, and genealogy.
“My father, who’s also an author, had a big office library,” says Chris. “We researched our family history and it’s quite a name—it goes back to 1200s in England with a lot of records.”
In addition to the genealogy work he’s done with his family, Chris has used technology to connect with distant cousins, including one of Ernest Hemingway’s grandsons and one of his granddaughters, an actress in California.
Chris has also seen the impact of technology on the library, noting many improvements over the years, particularly the addition of the Internet.
“Technology and the library go hand-in-hand—it’s a good thing,” says Chris. “We help people with downloading books...but a lot of people still want a printed book. We go with the flow and change with the times.”
Chris is quick to point out that the library’s services go far beyond books. In addition to offering Internet access, he said there are also book clubs, author visits, printing services, story times for children, and more. He’s particularly proud of the notary service the library offers. He suggested the idea to the board and received his commission in December 2013.
“If people can’t make it to Town Hall or their bank, they can have things notarized at the library,” Chris says.
He’s also considering becoming a justice of the peace and would love to see people get married at the library. Chris just had his own wedding on Oct. 17, marrying Sabrina. They’re now enjoying another of Chris’s passions—travel. The honeymooners are touring New England.
“We met two years ago on Facebook through mutual friends and the rest is history,” says Chris, who also cares for his mother, who’s battling breast cancer. “I love to travel and I love seeing the country.”
Chris also enjoys sports, rooting for the Yankees and UConn’s college basketball teams. In addition to working at the library, Chris also does some writing—poetry and short stories—and has had a few pieces published.
“I hope to continue that in the future,” says Chris. “The most rewarding part of my job helping people every day. The people I work with are almost like a second family. We’re a wonderful, close-knit group.”