He’s found his way back home

Cody Allen got his start working at libraries as a teen, and his love for the energy, the books and the people has never waned.

On July 12, Allen took over as the executive director of the Whitman County Rural Library District. Most recently, he had been working in Montana as the system administrator for the Billings Library.

Allen worked in the Lewiston High School library in high school as well as the Asotin County Library and continued to work in libraries through college.

Allen said working at a library has always been a unique way to give back to his community — from finding a book, to putting on a program or being part of a communal space.

Allen takes the reins of the Whitman County Rural Library District from longtime library employee Sheri Miller, who filled in as interim director in October following the resignation of Kylie Fullmer, who served in the position for about a year. Prior to Fullmer, Kristie Kirkpatrick served for 21 years as the district’s executive director before her retirement in the fall of 2020.

As director, Allen will oversee staff and programs through the district, which is based in Colfax and includes 14 branches.

After high school, Allen received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Whitworth University in Spokane where he was a student employee at the library. He moved to Boulder, Colo., for graduate school where his lifelong love of libraries was tested.

Allen said he was torn during graduate school to either become a high school teacher or a librarian. He dropped his quest for a graduate degree in philosophy after two years when he said academia wasn’t for him.

“I was trying to decide if I wanted to go back and become a high school teacher, because I really liked working with people and I really liked teaching and working with young kids and working with teens,” Allen said.

A move to Billings offered him a job once again in a library while he wrestled with his next career move.

He worked at the Billings Library as a page and a clerk. When an opening for a reference librarian occurred, he applied and was promoted.

Getting hired as the reference librarian meant Allen would need a master’s degree in library sciences, which he did online at the University of North Texas. From there he was hired as the Billings Library teen librarian and managed the teen lab for the next five years.

Soon after, Allen was hired as the library systems administrator of the Billings. Allen said he enjoyed the policy, frameworks and structures of the new position.

The eventual move back to the Palouse was in part, because he wanted to be closer to his family.

When he saw the opening in Colfax, he jumped to submit an application.

“I am really excited to be here,” Allen said. “I’m excited to be at the library and a part of the county in this way to help enrich it and help make everyone’s lives better.”

For more information on the Whitman County Rural Library District including branch location, upcoming programs and digital resources, visit whitcolib.org.

Nelson can be reached at knelson@dnews.com.