District 3 profile: Greg Gidden

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Learn more about how Hennepin County works for you, the District 3 team conducts a profile series with employees of the county who live in the district. Each month we spotlight a different person from varying departments and occupations.  Find out about the day-to-day aspects of occupational fields and work environments at the county, and how each person’s work affects your life.

greg gidden

Greg Gidden

Birchwood Neighborhood, St Louis Park

Patron Experience Supervisor, Hennepin County Library--Augsburg Park

20 months at Hennepin County

Describe your work.

I am the Patron Experience Supervisor at the Hennepin County Library—Augsburg Park in Richfield. Most of my work involves managing daily operations in the library, supporting staff in the delivery of library services, and creating welcoming and safe environments that meet the needs of our diverse patrons and staff. Every day presents some new challenge or opportunity, from refining customer service to collection maintenance, from developing local programs to building and sustaining community connections. The breadth of the services we offer reflects the library’s mission to “nourish minds, transform lives, and build community together.” As part of library management, I contribute to system-wide initiatives and projects to solve problems, improve library service, and promote innovation, and collaborate with other library managers to provide opportunities and resources for staff development and growth.

What part of your job do you find most challenging?

As we strive to respond to changing communities and evolving patron needs, and to deliver library services that are relevant, innovative, and inclusive, our library spaces have become more dynamic. While supporting public access to our large collection of print, digital, and media resources remains a major focus of what we do, today’s Hennepin County Library offers much more. Working to meet the expectations of all of our patrons and to create welcoming community spaces is often a balancing act, an ongoing process of continuous improvement and refinement. Libraries are evolving, and managing that change, both for patrons and staff, is some of the most challenging and exciting work I do. 

What do you find most enjoyable?

Every day provides opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of Hennepin County residents. I joined the library after fifteen years in education and have come to appreciate how essential library resources, technology and learning opportunities are to the lives of so many in our communities. It is an honor to work with and support an engaged and creative staff that is truly committed to serving our patrons and effecting positive change in our community. 

What is one thing everyone should know about the work you do?

My role is to help bring the library’s vision to life: to create a Hennepin County where “every person has the opportunity and resources to read, graduate, engage, work and learn.” If you haven’t been to one of our libraries in a while, I encourage you to come in and see what we are doing. We welcome and value your input and look forward to working together with you to build an even better, stronger Hennepin County.