Meet Theresa Kovacs: Retired librarian, mother, dog owner, globe trotter, high school drama producer, bibliophile, AND super-star volunteer with the Friends of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton county(FOPL).
Theresa is a recently retired librarian with a distinguished career at our very own Cincinnati Public Library. During her 27-year tenure, Theresa oversaw nonfiction acquisitions, managed a branch, and even wrote promotional content for the library’s website. Theresa wasted no time in joining the ranks of FOPL volunteers. The Friends play a critical role in underwriting library programming, and Theresa knows this on a very personal level. But volunteering isn’t just a duty for Theresa, “…It’s also a comfort zone for me…It gives me the chance to be around books and people who care about books.” Something, she claimed, she wouldn’t otherwise have in her life.
Not that Theresa’s life is boring or mundane in any capacity. She is steeped in teenage drama. Literally.
Previously a theater Mom, Theresa produced Loveland High School’s last four shows, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame last fall. Loveland was the first high school in Ohio to stage the complicated musical, and Theresa expertly navigated a cast and crew of 107 adolescents through all its many challenges. “It’s fun to see the program grow” she tells me, “but it sometimes feels like herding cats.” We both chuckle.
Back to volunteering.
Because of her background and her willingness to serve, Theresa was appointed volunteer curator of two wildly diverse subjects: antiques and transportation. Stamp collecting albums and Mustang repair manuals both pass through her hands. In addition to her Tuesday morning gig, Theresa also assists with book sales. She even brought her husband, Steve, to the last Winter Sale where they made a formidable tear-down/clean-up team.
After years of reading nonfiction for work, Theresa now reads for pure enjoyment. Mysteries set in England are her current obsession, and she just checked out the first five volumes of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series. “It’s kind of a guilty pleasure” she admits. Because the Kovacs spent time in Europe for her husband’s job, she enjoys the quirky characters of small English towns.
Whether she is walking her dog, directing traffic on stage, or shelving tomes at the Used Book Store, you are sure to find Theresa Kovacs smiling. Our conversation was peppered with laughter and she delighted me with stories and experiences. Thank you, Theresa, for your years of service to your community. The Friends is fortunate to have you on our team!
Oh, Theresa did have some parting words for our readers, “You don’t have to wait for the sale. We are open during the week. Come often!”