Welcome to Rumbel Strip, Vermont. I'm Erica Heilman. Today an interview with library activist and computer savant, Jessamine West.

Let me just start by saying that Jessman West is kind of internet famous.

She was one of the original moderators for the community blog Metafelter, which is like the civilized version of

Reddit. She was recently contacted by the White House for her thoughts on their

choice for the next librarian of Congress, and she speaks internationally about the digital divide and

talking with Jessamine is a little like being on a really fast ride at the

Tunbridge Fair. In this interview we at the town bridge fair.

In this interview, we sat in her kitchen in Randolph Vermont

and talked about her passion for public libraries

and the role of the modern librarian.

We also talked about how different people manage their personal relationships

with their personal computers.

Welcome. So you have spent a lot of time in this state traveling all over Vermont to go visiting small libraries.

What are you trying to learn from these places?

To me, the most amazing thing about libraries

and the reason I like to go there when I'm traveling

is because no matter where I am, the public libraries belong to me.

I'm the public. It's for me.

How magical is that? Like I think for a lot of people, maybe they get that from other places.

Maybe they get that from their workplace, maybe they get that from other places,

maybe they get that from their workplace,

maybe they get that from their church,

...