Born in the Nicola Valley on May 30, 1950, Linda Epps, of the N?e?kepmx Nation has led an interesting life.

She is now the librarian at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT), but her story starts in California where she was a ward of the state until the age of 17. She attended a city college, where she met her husband of 47 years “which is a feat in itself,” she said jokingly.

She has lived in Alaska, Texas, California, Maryland and places in between as a counsellor in treatment centers, helping people with substance abuse issues.

“Because of the struggles I had going to university and college I thought that’s where I could be helpful.”

—Linda Epps

Wanting a change, she was introduced to the possibility of working in a library in Tucson, Arizona, through a program called Knowledge River several years ago. She was accepted to the University of Arizona, where she got her Masters in Information Resources and Library Science in 2008 — a two-year program which she finished in a year.

With a desire to work at post secondary institutions to help young adults, she went into academic librarianship.

“Because of the struggles I had going to university and college I thought that’s where I could be helpful,” she said. Her first job in the librarian field was in Alpine, Texas at Sul Ross State University where she worked for three years as an inter-library loan librarian.

Through her position there, she helped African American and Hispanic students with their studies.

The African American Student Union did not have a faculty advisor and they came to Linda and asked if she could help. Being a librarian, and not a member of the faculty, she became the unofficial advisor.

“I thought my purpose here was to do this.”

—Linda Epps

She also helped them learn about the history of Fort Davis and the history of the Buffalo Soldiers. She encouraged them to volunteer their time at Fort Davis and two of those seven that volunteered were later accepted in the National Park Service as rangers.

“I thought my purpose here was to do this,” she said. “Wherever I go I feel the Creator is guiding me.” She said she still keeps in touch with them to this day.

In 2012 she was contacted about a job at NVIT. She accepted because she felt it was time to give back to her community.

After six months “I was unsure if I was making a difference here” she said. After speaking to her supervisor she learned in a student survey that herself and the library was the number one resource students turn to for help or assistance. “Then I thought, wow,” she said, astonished. Now today her mission is to help anyone with a question no matter who they might be in her community. “I will support others in their endeavors in any way I can,” she said.

She lastly encourages others to look into becoming a librarian — who knows where it will take you?

—By Corey Lamirande