When Patrice Sartor first imagined becoming a librarian, she wasn’t a lifelong bibliophile with the dream of becoming the next Miss Honey. She was working in the video and computer game industry, immersed in the creative chaos of deadlines, ideas, and late-nights. “That was a fun time, working with so many creative and talented people on projects that inspired me,” she says. “Plus, you often got free meals when you worked late!”
But after years in that fast-paced environment, and with the arrival of her children, Sartor began to crave a career that offered more work-life balance. Then one morning in the early 2000s, she came across a newspaper article that changed everything. On the front page was a smiling woman surrounded by books. The story spoke of an anticipated librarian shortage in California and introduced a new online master’s program in library science at San José State University.
She clipped the article and saved it. “I cut it out (I still have it!) and promised myself that one day I would go back to school and give librarianship a try,” she says. It was the beginning of a new path that would eventually lead her to the Benicia Public Library, where she has become one of its most dedicated and beloved staff members.
Sartor’s path to Benicia’s library wasn’t straight forward, but it was shaped by her love of connection. “My background, at its core, is connecting with communities,” she explains. She earned a psychology degree because she loved people, then found ways to stay close to that passion through every job she held, from retail to gaming. When she moved to Benicia, she started seeking out her place in the community. “The Library was a natural place to find community,” she says.
She began by attending storytimes with her children and bringing home “armloads of books multiple times a week.” Before long, she was volunteering. She enrolled in San José State’s online library program, and slowly but surely began to make the Benicia Public Library her professional home.
“By the time I finally received my degree,” Sartor says, “I was so firmly entrenched in Benicia life, I knew I would never work at any other library than BPL.”
Today, she manages the library’s social media, website, and much of its adult nonfiction collection, roles that merge her creative background with her love of communication. “It feels like I’ve come full circle,” she says, comparing her current work connecting with patrons to her early days in online gaming forums.
For Sartor, the library’s role in Benicia is about more than just books. “Much of the country feels divided right now,” she says. “Libraries have always been a place for everyone, and the BPL exemplifies this.”
She sees the library as a rare space where people can gather without pressure or judgment, “a place where you can visit with no expectation of purchasing anything.” Whether someone stops in to browse, read, or just sit quietly for a while, the space is open to all.
And sometimes, it’s not quiet at all. Sartor loves to share about the library’s community events, including the wildly popular Lucha Libro wrestling nights. Hundreds of people have packed into the library for the spectacle. “Is it the wrestling that brings Benicia’s community together? Is it the free popcorn?” she jokes. “I think it’s all the things, nicely encapsulated in Benicia Public Library!”
Sartor loves how libraries have evolved to meet people where they are. “I know there are still people who think libraries are just about books,” she says, “but we offer so much more than that.”
She points to the library’s expanding Thing and Tool Library, where patrons can borrow items like projectors, karaoke speakers, cornhole sets, and even Nintendo Switch consoles. “Fifteen years ago I would not have expected the Library to have tennis rackets next to juggling sticks, but I just love it,” she says. “Surprising patrons with what they can do with their library card is a fantastic feeling.”
Beyond the gadgets, BPL offers events that bring people together in new and inventive ways, like the Chili and Salsa Cook-Offs or the “Cook the Book” book club that combines reading and cooking. “People love events with food!” Sartor muses.
She’s also seen a steady rise in the use of digital resources, especially as she introduces more people to Libby, the eBook and audiobook app.
Sartor believes part of what makes Benicia’s library so vital is how it serves the whole community, from toddlers to seniors, readers to non-readers. She describes lively storytimes for small children, teen sleepovers and movie nights, adult yoga classes, and a tech help drop-in for anyone struggling with devices.
She’s particularly proud of a new initiative launched by City Librarian Jennifer Baker, called No Reading Required, which makes the library more accessible for those with dyslexia or other reading differences. Through the project, the library’s catalog features images and QR codes that link to trailers, audio summaries, or visual guides. “It’s meant to showcase what the Library offers to non-readers,” Sartor says. “Those images were such fun to create.”
For her, it’s about removing barriers and reimagining what inclusion looks like.
When asked what makes her work special, Sartor says, “My most favorite thing about working at BPL is the opportunity to help people.” Whether she’s tracking down a book or helping someone use a library app, she finds joy in those small moments of connection. “Often at the end of the interaction I’m rewarded with a huge smile and a word of appreciation, and that IS THE BEST.”
Her runner-up favorite? “I never get tired of people complimenting my hair,” she says.
She’s also deeply invested in ensuring people know what the library offers. “I am curious how people find out about these things and what’s the best method,” she says. “Is it our monthly newsletter? Our social media posts? Flyers? I want ALL the people to know all the things.”
Sartor’s hopes for the library are both practical and visionary. “My hope is that our Library can be one of the things that every person in town loves,” she says. “There are plenty of things to disagree on, but hey, isn’t the Library amazing?”
She wants the library to keep experimenting and surprising people, much like the Lucha Libro nights. “Wouldn’t it be fun to surprise people with new stuff too?” she says. “Maybe some sort of flash tattoo fundraiser would be cool. Oh, hey, we’ve got a Tarot and Tea event coming up! We are so cool, and my goal for the future is that everyone agrees on this!”
When asked how Benicia residents can best support the library, her answer is immediate and emphatic: “USE IT! Attend our events. Check out our materials. Print something… Borrow an eAudiobook. Tell a friend about all the things the Library can do for them. Just use it.”
Outside of work, Sartor’s life is every bit as energetic and varied as the programs she helps organize. She’s a gamer, photographer, concert-goer, and avid walker, often seen around town with her dog Tulip, who she says “seems to be pretty well known around town judging by the number of patrons that tell me they see me walking her.”
“I love to exercise,” she adds. “I like walking, nearly always with my dog Tulip… I like to make people happy, or at least make them smile.” She also has a passion for food. “Eating food, looking at photos of food, talking about food, and reading menus of restaurants I’m going to visit are all big passions of mine.”
Many of those interests naturally weave into her job. “I oversee the Cook Book Club at the Library. I photograph many of the events at the Library,” she says. “And whenever I am walking around town, I tend to run into people who know me from the Library, and they are all so friendly and welcoming.”
If there’s one message Sartor hopes people take away, it’s that the library belongs to everyone. She knows some people still carry misconceptions about what libraries are or who they serve, but she challenges that gently with warmth, humor, and an open heart. “Libraries are a fascinating melting pot of all walks of life and all types of people,” she says. “I encourage anyone with doubts to come to BPL with an open heart and mind and embrace your fellow humans. Smile at someone in there. Compliment their hair. I bet you’ll leave happier than you entered.”
And if you do, there’s a good chance Patrice Sartor will be there, smiling back and ready to help you find your next great book, event, or connection.
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