Meena Jain has always had a love for books, but as Ashland Public Library’s Director, there is so much more to this incredible role. The connection the library provides is what drives Jain in her day-to-day schedule. She oversees the library's daily operations while helping to create a welcoming space where people of all ages can connect and spend time in the community.

Jain’s journey to working in a library began with a degree in social work. She has worked as a librarian since 2005 and said her social work background has been surprisingly useful throughout her career.

“As a library director, I direct all of the operations of the library from staffing, programming, collection development, budgeting, community outreach, to policy—and everything in between,” Jain said. “No two days are the same, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Growing up, Jain moved around, but has lived in Massachusetts for more than 30 years. Today, she has just a 17-minute commute to work, which she appreciates when those gas prices are high, but it’s always a struggle to stop when she’s in the middle of a good audiobook.  

Before coming to Ashland, Jain worked as a programming librarian in Lexington. Although she enjoyed the position, she missed having a more direct role in the overall operation of a library.

Her connection to Ashland’s library actually goes back to 2012, when she was in library school and applied for a teen services position. Former library director Paula Bonetti offered her the job despite Jain having no prior experience. Bonetti considered Ashland a “teaching library,” which really stuck with Jain.

When the director position became available following Bonetti’s retirement, Jain was excited to take on the role.

Her days now always look different. Jain may be working on the library budget, meeting with staff, presenting to a community organization, helping the Friends of the Library with fundraising, attending trustee or department head meetings, or running a program. She also enjoys interacting with patrons when she gets the chance.

While people often assume librarians spend their days reading, Jain said that is not quite the case. “There’s literally no time to read on the job,” she said.

What she does have plenty of time for is connecting with people, which she considers the best part of her job. She enjoys watching children discover a favorite book, seeing teens gather in the teen room, helping adults find something to read, and watching people work together on the library’s communal puzzle.

Jain also sees the library as an important place for people to connect with one another. “We’re a safe bastion for everyone to gather and get to know their neighbors,” she said.

That sense of community is one of the things Jain appreciates most about Ashland. She describes the town as having a small-town feel despite its population of more than 18,000 residents. She especially enjoys the community’s diversity, curiosity, and engagement with the library.

One recent experience showed her that connection. Jain participates in the library’s monthly cookbook club, where members prepare dishes from a selected cookbook and gather for a potluck. Although she jokingly admits she is not the best cook, she enjoys spending time with the group.

Recently, members told her they had started making plans to go karaoke together outside of the library.

“I was thrilled that they had met through a program at the library and started meeting outside of our programs,” Jain said. “It truly is what it’s all about.”

The Ashland Public Library welcomes between 300 and 400 visitors on a typical day, 500 to 600 on Saturdays, and sometimes more than 1,000 during large-scale programs. Jain said the library serves people of all ages and backgrounds and offers something for everyone at no cost.

And while her work keeps her surrounded by books, Jain has another interest that might surprise some patrons: she is a self-described nerd who loves comic books, graphic novels, and superhero movies.

Jain believes that the library is about bringing people together, and she is always more than happy to help make that happen every day.