Get to know Becki Batz, library director of Richland Community Library

Early last year, the Richland Community Library was searching for a library director at the risk of closing its doors. That’s when Becki Batz applied.

At the time, the library was under the direction of an interim library director, who Batz said stepped up to keep the library open.

One of Batz’s sisters takes her young children to the library and is friends with most of the library’s board. Catie Sweeney, board president, ultimately encouraged Batz to apply.

Prior to her sister’s conversation with Sweeney, Batz had seen that her childhood library was looking for a library director who could work 36 hours per week.

Batz was hesitant to apply. She is also a teacher and librarian at the Schuylkill Haven Area High School and could not dedicate those hours to the new role, which “in and of itself couldn’t sustain me and my family,” she said.

Sweeney encouraged Batz to apply regardless, and Batz became the new library director of her childhood library on March 3, 2025.

Batz was raised in Newmanstown, moved away for several years, and now lives next door to her parents in Newmanstown with her husband, who drives a truck for Bell & Evans, and their large blended family.

Batz works as a teacher and librarian at the Schuylkill Haven Area High School days and as a library director at the Richland Community Library evenings, weekends, and on breaks from school.

The high school allowed Batz to give up her extracurriculars and to leave before 3 p.m. on school days to get to the library, which shifted its hours to be open later to allow Batz to meet state requirements.

“Everybody’s like, ‘Aren’t you stressed out?'” said Batz. “I would go home and read a book. So, to me, I’m in a place full of books that I absolutely love, and I get to see the kids, ‘They have this book! Mom! Dad!’ … This was my happy place as a child, so I can’t imagine anything different.”

While she was always an avid reader, Batz originally pursued higher education to become a nurse. Then, her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and Batz became her full-time caregiver.

“Even though she had Alzheimer’s, she would always say, ‘Just find something that you love,'” said Batz. She ultimately decided to pursue higher education to become a librarian and foster a love for reading in others.

Batz received her general education from Reading Area Community College before earning a bachelor’s degree in library and information science (PreK-12) from Kutztown University in 2013. She went on to earn a master’s degree in library and information science (PreK-12) from PennWest Clarion in 2019. She also has a public librarian certification.

Batz told LebTown that one of her biggest mentors is Ann Schmidt, who retired from public education in 2022 and currently serves as the graduate teaching administrator at the Total Experience Learning Institute.

“She still has that spark and that passion. That’s what you want to have when you walk into the library. You want that person who’s happy and lets you express yourself and be yourself. You’re not afraid to approach them and say, ‘Do you have a book on…?’ That type of person who just understands, non-judgmental,” said Batz.

Batz’s favorite part of being a community librarian is that there’s less paperwork involved compared to being an academic librarian. She added that she is still responsible for creating schedules, programs, orders, and other things required to run a library.

“The challenging part is creating all the programs, but then not getting to see them to their fruition, I guess. So that is a little bit of a bummer,” said Batz about the pitfalls of juggling two roles.

Since becoming the director, Batz has helped create the library’s successful Art Explorers for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) program, which launched during the library’s Color Your World summer reading theme in 2025.

Batz called on community members to support the program, which runs on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 6 p.m. for children of all ages. The program is free to attend, and no registration is required.

“It is our biggest program by far, and it just gets bigger every week,” said Batz. “We have families that drive from the other side of Lebanon because they want to participate in the program. So, there is a need and a want for it. It’s just a matter of, I guess, reaching the right audience to make it happen. So, here’s hoping.”

Batz closed by expressing her gratitude for the library’s clerks, volunteers, patrons, and other community supporters.

“It is so much fun to see everybody enjoying our space, and that’s really just what I want,” she said. “I know it’s taken me a long time to get that at the high school, and I know it’ll take me time here. But hopefully, we will become that library where you can just come in and chat and come in and not have to worry about the noise level and not have to worry about somebody judging you.”