Pinyan leaves Madison branch for countywide work with library

Mandy and Wesley Pinyan’s daughter Adelyn is “a sassy three-year-old and makes each day an adventure.” (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – A vibrant personality who has helped children form a love of reading is leaving Madison Public Library for a new position within the library system.

Mandy Pinyan has resigned after six years as youth services librarian to work as Madison County Extension & Outreach Youth Services Coordinator.

At her new job, Pinyan will work from the Huntsville branch and coordinate the summer reading program with all youth services librarians at all 12 branches. She will produce the touring show for puppets and serve as library spokesperson at community events like Panoply.

“My job in Madison was a dream job. Not only did I share my favorite stories with children at preschool storytime, but I produced fun puppet shows, school-aged programs like Junior Readers and countless teen programs,” she said.

Pinyan coordinated numerous crafts projects, like recycled book wreaths, zombie felties, paintings, invisible bookshelves and origami French fries.

“The Teen Room was a huge accomplishment for me,” Pinyan said. “I worked hard to make it happen. I’ve had the best teenagers anyone could hope for.” She acknowledged help from a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, Amanda Jackson at Gadsden Public Library and Rep. Mike Ball.

Saying good-bye has been difficult for Pinyan, but “tears are kind of happy for me, too. I have made an impact, in a good way. More importantly, I’ve been positively impacted.”

Among many patrons, Pinyan will remember watching babies grow and go to school, handing over the first library card to a child and attending high graduation to cheer ‘her teens.’ She helped an older man enlarge maps for a cross-country trip with his bride of 60 years and helped two girls at storytime to learn English and mainstream in school.

Pinyan earned a bachelor’s degree at Auburn University and a master’s degree in library science at the University of Alabama.

Her husband Wesley works as an appraiser for Cushman & Wakefield. Their daughter Adelyn is “a sassy three-year-old and makes each day an adventure,” Mandy said.