Erica Perry, who has served as the children’s librarian at the Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library for 16 years, inspiring young readers and making a lasting impact on generations of families.

“I did not go to school to be a children’s librarian. I worked for the county. I was a teacher for 9 years and I always did my tutoring here after school. And so then one day I received a letter, saying that my position was not filled for the following year at the school that I was at, and the director saw me sitting here at the table after I got done tutoring. I opened up the letter, and I started crying, and I read the letter, and did not know what I was going to be doing. So she came over and she said ‘I’ve known you for over eight years with you tutoring, something will happen for you. Don’t give up.’ And three weeks later, she called me in and she asked me if I would come in for an interview. And at that time, I had left that previous job and started working as a pre-K teacher at Cubby’s, and I had on a bathing suit because it was the end of the school year, and we had taken the kids to the 1st day of the pool, and I said to her, I’m wearing a bathing suit. She said, I know who you are. Just come on in. So I came in with shorts and a T-shirt, and my bathing suit, for an interview, and was told that day that I had the job. So I have been here ever since,” Erica said jokingly.

Being in her position as the children’s librarian has a lot of rewarding aspects, Perry said.

“The most rewarding thing is working with the children. I’ve always taught kindergarten or pre-K, and just working with the children is a blessing. I’m not able to have children of my own. So I feel like God puts you in places at certain times in your life. He knows to direct your path before you even do. So he gave me that gift. My mom used to have a daycare herself. So that was always instilled in me, working with kids because when she had her daycare, I would be helping her out and stuff. And I always wanted to be a teacher,” she said.

“So that was always instilled with me with my mom… So he directed me in the path of working with children. So I’ve got my fulfillment with that as well. I love working with the community. I love being a role model. I love being up here. I love being a friend to the children of the community, and I also love making the library a safe place for them.”

Even though Black History Month only lasts 28 days in February, Perry said the month has a lot of meaning to her, and she strives for a longer-lasting education of African American history.

“Black History Month is the shortest month of the year, 28 days, but I don’t just only celebrate who I am as a person, as a black American, African American. I just don’t celebrate it just as February. I celebrate it all year long. So I try to incorporate programs in the library. Especially during the month of February, we have a couple programs here. So if children don’t know anything about black history, that they can also be educated in it here at the library because they have taken that out of school now and it’s completely, completely sad,” she said.

“Also, when I’m ordering books, I try to order books of all different nationalities, even what’s going on with the world today. So that they can be familiarized with what’s happening and current events and current people. And I just think black history is just an important time to reflect on, even as black people, who we are, how far we have come in life. Because my dad and my mom would tell me stories about when they were children, how they couldn’t go to school with their white peers or different nationalities, how they had to grow up just in a black community. Even when they got married at the age of 18 years of age, how they couldn’t buy a house in Goff Plaza and Bridgeport and it was very, very hard for them,” she said.

“So just to look back and reflect about how far we have come, as people and as a race, it’s special and it’s important. And sometimes I do get emotional, just hearing older people’s stories to where we have come today. And just to let people know, even as young kids, you can become anything as long as you put your mind in your heart to it, and you stay steady at that pace. I’m also a Christian. So put God first in everything you do.”

Every year during Black History Month, Erica said she has a tradition she shares with a dear friend.

“I have a friend. She lives in Morgantown and she’s Middle Eastern. We’ve been friends ever since college. During this month, we usually go out and eat, which we did yesterday in Morgantown. I educate her on something about my race. And then we usually will watch a movie, a historical movie, and then when it’s her time to learn about, you know, Middle Eastern, when they have theirs, we swap. So we’re learning different things about one another and it’s just fun that I’ve had a friend this long who’s like ‘oh, good, I’m celebrating Black History Month. What are we doing, my girlfriend?’ So it’s fun to get together and just talk about that.”

Erica said that while many people have impacted her life, one person stands out above them all.

“I had a teacher; her name was Rose Hosea. She was my third grade and fourth grade teacher. She was African American, and she instilled so much in me. I remember having handwriting classes with her, and she would just always get on me, because she’d always say, ‘Nuh uh, you have to sit there. That’s not good. We want perfection.’ And she just was always like that,” she said.

“I remember me going from Linden Elementary School, then going to middle school and high school at Notre Dame High School, and she tutored me. So it’s like we had that relationship. Even when I went to college, she helped me in college, and she came to my graduation. When I got my job here, when I got my first teaching job, she even came and read to my students. So, she made that impact on me. That education and the love of children also is very important. And she passed away eight years ago. I love her. So my hero will be for teaching and just inspire me to be the woman I am today, Miss Rose Hosea.”

Even with many amazing life moments, Erica said the library gives her a different kind of purpose.

“I think my most rewarding job is the library, because I see all kinds of different backgrounds, from different diversity of people, of color, different diversity economically with people. So, I see it all. And It touches me that when I first started, even if a child is 18, 20 years old now, they still come in sometimes and they tell me a story. ‘Hey Miss Perry, you impacted me. This is what I’m doing now, with my life,’ “ she said.
“The library is just not a place about books. We’re family. We’re family to everybody that comes in here. We greet one another. We don’t leave anyone out. This is a safe place for everybody who comes into the library.”

Even when educating young kids about Black History Month, Perry said they take in what they learn and have deeper conversations.

“A lot of them are shocked. I had one kid say the other day that it made him sad, and he’s nine years old. It makes him sad for what he’s learning about, what my people went through and of certain things that are even going on as of today,” she said.

“We have a group in here and I call them my YAG kids, and that stands for youth advisory group. They help me make decisions in the library. They help me with programs and they, it’s for the ages of 6 to 11. You wouldn’t believe the discussions that we have in here. Parents are not allowed. That was one of their rules. But we have open discussions about stuff, about different things that’s going on in the world today. And they know that this is Black History Month. So they asked me questions last week, and I gave them to the understanding of their age. But a lot of them knew a lot of things. And it was impressive to see because like I said, it’s not taught in school, but their parents are teaching them, and they will come in and get books. So it’s just good to see that.”

One message Perry believes is important is to spread love every day, not just during Black History Month.

“Just love one another. Don’t look at a person’s color. Look at their heart and see what they’re about before you make that judgmental statement in your head. Look at that person. Grow to know that person and learn them. Because each of us are the same, just because our skin color is different. Learn them.”

Perry ended her interview by highlighting someone she believes deserves more recognition in the community.

“I absolutely love Marc Jackson. Me and him go way, way back. He’s a leader, he is that person that if he says he’s going to do something, he’s going to do it. He follows through with his word. And words also are about action, and he’s action and word, word and action,” she said.

“He’s a great leader because of where he comes from, and he will tell you that he had a problem before, and he’s overcome that problem. Some people who do have a problem can’t admit they have a problem. And not only can they not admit they have a problem, they don’t try to fix themselves. And he is both, and he attempts to do it, and he’s a fixer. So he has accomplished so much with his life. He’s not only a great leader. I think he has gone above and beyond for this community. If I ask him, ‘Hey, can you do something for me? Can you work on this project for me?’ there is no, ifs, ands, or buts. It’s, ‘I’ll be there. Let me know. Put it in my calendar, and I got you.’ So to me, that’s all about character. And when you see character, you see Marc, because he goes with word-action, action-word.”

The City of Clarksburg proudly thanks Erica Perry for her outstanding contributions to residents of all ages and for the positive impact she continues to make in our community. Be sure to stop by the library and say hello to her sometime!