Meet the New Branch Manager at Smithfield Branch Library, Heather McWilliams

Hometown: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
College degree: Undergraduate and master’s degrees in library science at the University of Alabama
Favorite book: Dark Tower by Stephen King
Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption
Favorite television show: The Walking Dead
Favorite quote that you use as a guide in life: “Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” – Albus Dumbledore

The Smithfield Branch Library has a new branch manager. Heather McWilliams, 29, began overseeing the library on August 22, 2016.

Before joining the Birmingham Public Library (BPL), McWilliams served as head librarian the past two years at the Helen Keller Public Library in Tuscumbia, Alabama, the oldest chartered public library in Alabama. A Tuscaloosa native, McWilliams attended undergraduate and graduate school at the University of Alabama, where she obtained a master of library science degree in 2011.

Upon graduation, McWilliams worked at Bevill State Community College as a librarian before moving to work at the Rose Creek Public Library in Woodstock, Georgia, where she discovered a passion for working at a public library.

“I enjoyed my time at the previous libraries and am excited to be part of the Birmingham Public Library system,” McWilliams said. “I look forward to learning more about the Smithfield Branch and meeting its patrons.”