Lo Stone was hired as Dunn Library’s acquisitions and access services coordinator earlier this year in August.

In her position as acquisitions and access services coordinator, Stone spends her days inside Dunn repairing books, updating the 80,000 book catalog, managing payrolls and the library budget. Stone also makes sure books are available whenever a professor or student needs them. 

Stone said campus is gorgeous, and she loves Simpson’s traditions and customs. 

“There’s a lot of old buildings, I love old buildings. I love the folklore around, like, Millie is kind of cool. I like George the cat,” Stone said. “It’s a neat community, just about everyone I’ve met is pretty cool.”

Stone moved from Denver, Colorado, seeking a change of pace and a community where she could feel safe and creative again. She wanted a job that would get her out of her office and engaging with people. This library gig was exactly what she was looking for. 

“I needed to be somewhere I wasn’t worried all the time,” Stone said.

Before Simpson, Stone was a full-time author who had been published in her undergraduate studies and has even been featured in a few magazines. She received her bachelor’s in theater arts and creative writing from Grand View University. 

Stone continues her education, pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. 

In the summer, Stone leads a theater camp program, where she writes a play for high school students to perform once camp ends. Her husband assists her through the fun as he builds the necessary props with his woodworking skills, while Stone paints the finished product.

“We won an award last summer for our props, that was really cool,” Stone said.

Stone believes in the power of stories to keep people grounded in their true selves. 

“Books help a person understand what’s happening in their head or understand how to live in a world with people,” Stone said. “We all used to dream about what we wanted to be when we grew up. If you’ve forgotten what you dreamed about as a kid, you need to go back and take a look at that, do some inward thinking, and find out where you sit in the world.”

One issue in the library community Stone is passionate about is book bans.

“Why do you care what I read? Books open minds, they don’t close them,” Stone said. “I think art in any form is so important to humanity. And I think once we lose art, we kind of start losing who we are as people.” 

Moving forward, Stone plans to utilize the library to host more events that encourage student involvement and spark activity within Dunn. 

“It’s about the connections we make with each other that help us see each other, and that’s what keeps a community alive,” Stone said.

For Stone, creativity isn’t just about making art; it’s about making connections, and inside Dunn, Stone helps students do both.