Library
Check It Out! Newsletter - May 2026
Librarian Spotlight: Carol Drost
After over 40 years as a valued librarian at the Hatfield Library, Carol Drost is retiring at the end of June. Carol has been a fixture at the library for many years and it is difficult to imagine the place without her! Carol began working at Willamette in 1984 when the library was still located in what is now Smullin. She was around for the planning of the current library and helped with the move from the old library to the new. Carol has served under four different library directors and has worked in practically every area of the library. She has served on numerous library committees locally and regionally as well as campus committees such as Academic Council. Sheco-edited a column inCollege & Research Library Newsfor 25 years.She led the way during multiple Integrated Library Systems changes and a previous director once announced, “Carol is good with computers.” So true, Larry Oberg! Carol was born in Michigan and grew up in a small town with two sisters and one brother. Her father was a long distance truck driver and her mother was a stay-at-home mom. Everyone in her neighborhood knew each other and many of the people were of Dutch ancestry, including Carol’s family. This explains why when Carol returned to Michigan to visit family, the Willamette library staff often enjoyed various Dutch treats upon her return. When her older sister began learning to read, Carol decided to join in the fun and learned to read at age four; she continues to be an avid reader to this day.
As a kid, Carol always looked forward to family trips although with a long distance truck driver for a dad, vacations were often jammed together in two or three days. Carol really enjoyed going somewhere new and thus began her lifelong love of travel. When it came time to start looking at colleges, Kalamazoo College stood out since they had a strong study abroad program. According to Carol, “K College (go Hornets!) changed my life. My six months living with a family in Hannover, (then) West Germany, has been one of the highlights of my life. Additionally my college roommates and I still get together on a regular basis.” Fittingly, Carol’s college work study job was at the library where she worked at the circulation desk. Carol was an English major with a German minor, and upon graduation, she moved to Ann Arbor where many of her college friends lived. She got a job at one of the University of Michigan libraries, and then realized that maybe she should pursue becoming a librarian.
After completing her library degree, Carol started looking for jobs at small college libraries. Although she enjoyed her four years at a large research library, she wanted to return to a smaller campus so she applied to Willamette. At that time, she had never been to the West Coast! After being offered the job and moving to Salem, she thought she would give it a couple of years but 42 years later she’s still here! She confesses that after all this time, “I feel more like an Oregonian than a Michigander.”
When asked about her perceptions of Salem and the northwest, Carol had this to say: “One of my first reactions to Salem was how friendly people were. That was something I was not used to. Also I was awed (and still am) by the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. I also loved finally experiencing the taste of real Mexican food and fresh seafood.”
Carol has always enjoyed a rich life outside her professional life. Carol raised her child in Salem so not surprisingly, she was active in supporting many school activities from orchestra to tennis and a whole lot more. She has done volunteer work such as being an usher for Pentacle Theatre. She enjoys word and jigsaw puzzles, music, movies, and plays, and she is a diehard Detroit Tigers fan. She has also traveled extensively including trips to Namibia, South Africa, China, and Thailand.
Happily, retirement will free Carol up to do all the things she loves and undoubtedly discover new interests along the way. She is particularly looking forward to “travel, travel, travel.” Carol’s kid (a native Oregonian) recently moved from Tacoma, WA, to New Hampshire so we predict many upcoming visits to that area of the country. Additionally, Carol hopes to volunteer at the elementary school that her child attended.
Carol’s contributions to the library profession, Mark O. Hatfield Library, and Willamette are impressive. When reflecting on her time at Willamette, Carol admits, “I will definitely miss interacting with students and staff. Willamette has been at the center of my life since I moved here, so it will be an adjustment when that piece is no longer there.”
From building, organizing, and maintaining collections to developing programs and overseeing staff, Carol has been instrumental in the evolution of the library through the years. The library staff has benefited from her expertise, knowledge, and sense of humor for decades; we are grateful for her dedication. Although it is difficult to let her go, we wish Carol all the best on this next chapter of her life!
—Joni Roberts, Retired Hatfield Librarian
Paperback Writers
At the Hatfield Library, we all know that John Repplinger is our Science Librarian. But did you know that he has also written and published fantasy fiction? Likewise, another Hatfield Library regular presence, student Christian Crow, is a published author of fantasy fiction and more.
Christian published his first book,The Coldest World, when he
was in 8th grade. To date, he has self-published seven fantasy fiction novels, and is beginning to branch out into other genres such as horror and science fiction. Now in his junior year at Willamette, Christian is from Orange County, California, and is an Environmental Science and Public, Policy, Law & Ethics double major, Public Health minor.
Following is an interview that fellow author John conducted recently with Christian. Read on to learn about Christian’s world of writing and research.
(John)
Your first publication,The Coldest World, was published in 2019. You were fourteen at the time and in 8th grade. Why did you start writing? What did your family think about you writing?
(Christian)
I have always been creating books for as long as I can remember, probably since I’ve been able to write. I began with little books that I made from folded paper which I had written and drawn in, but those I hope will never see the light of day. I became more serious about it in seventh grade. I started writing for fun, then hundreds of pages later, I considered turning what I wrote into a book.
I took my writing to my parents, and when my father, a man of little praise, enjoyed it, I began to think that my book could be publishable. My parents are not writers, so they couldn’t give me advice about publishing. I needed to figure out those aspects on my own. I learned how to format books and refined my editing skills. I’ve read through my books dozens of times. Each time my writing got better. I even create my own book covers. By eighth grade, I put it all together and self-published my first book through Amazon. All of this was stressful to accomplish as a middle school student. But it was also enjoyable and through those processes I learned a lot.
(John)
You published not one, but two books in 2025 (one in 2023). You’re also a full time college student. Classes take a lot of time and energy. How do you chip out time to write? Walk me through what a typical writing session is like for you.
(Christian)
Pretty much everything I write comes from my head, for better or worse. I occasionally take notes on my phone, such as timelines and numbers, which can be complicated to track while writing from different perspectives or time periods. The first series was all written from my head with very little outlining. However, my current writing needs more planning and structure, especially since I am writing from multiple points of view for various characters.
For the book that I am currently writing, I now spend just as much time researching it as writing. Researching can be the hardest aspect of writing but I have so much fun doing it. It’s a blast. I don’t have time during the semester to write since I am focused on classes, so most of my writing takes place between semesters, during the breaks. I will typically write several pages each day. During breaks, I also set writing goals to help me keep on task, but those are usually just lofty dreams.
(John)
What are the reactions of classmates and professors when they hear that you’ve published seven novels? And how has writing influenced your academic experience?
(Christian)
Recently, I was told by a friend that someone had described me as “prolific,” and I was very surprised, befuddled even. Meanwhile professors are very supportive and often ask for a copy of a book. Writing novels has definitely had a positive impact on my academic writing skills. I have learned complex sentence structure and the proper use of commas. My writing is stronger. It has also helped establish trust with faculty who recognize that I can write well, handle timelines, and am reliable. I’ve helped develop the final recommendations for local county reports, for example, as part of a research position. Those recommendations led to collaborating with faculty on two articles that we are planning to submit to professional journals.
(John)
In addition to fantasy, you also write science fiction and horror. Tell a little about writing in those genres. What are some current writing projects that you are working on? And where do you get your inspiration?
(Christian)
I love to write without having to explain things. With fantasy, you have to think about how your world is built and how it functions. The current book that I’m working on is in the horror genre. Horror is more free form and fun to write. Weird stuff happens, and you don’t have to explain how or why it occurs. It just is. I am currently writing an early 1900s, horror story set on Halloween, which is fun for just the research alone. Honestly, I enjoy doing the research just as much as writing and can get pulled into what I’m reading. I often get inspired by reading about history, folklore, and past events that happen in the real world. Some of the strangest things happen in real life, so I would say that real life inspires me.
(John)
Most writers struggle for years finding agents, getting accepted by publishers, and then reworking their writing. You chose to self-publish. Walk me through why you chose to go that route? Do you think you will try the publishing world?
(Christian)
When I published my first book in eighth grade, self-publishing was the easiest option at the time. Someday I want to look into traditional publishing and investigate agents and publishers. I don’t know everything about those aspects yet, and I don’t have the time right now to delve into it. But my goal is to someday go through traditional publishing, hopefully for these books.
(John)
Is there any advice you would like to give to current writers?
(Christian)
The best advice I can give is to experience the joys of researching. You may find something useful or inspiring while you research. For example, I was reading an article about folklore and read one sentence that helped me find a solution to conclude a book. This was for the Halloween folklore story that I’m currently writing. I knew as soon as I read that one sentence that I had my solution. I would also say to follow your dreams. I remember once when a high school counselor described me as following “the road not taken,” pulling from Robert Frost to describe the choices I had made. That’s always stuck with me. Us writers, we follow the road not taken, so that would be my advice too.
(John)
What is your favorite genre to read? What was the last recreational book you’ve read?
(Christian)
Definitely fantasy by default. I love fantasy and find myself gravitating to that genre all the time. But I like horror and sci-fi. The last recreational book I read wasThe Silent Brotherhood. It is about the history of one of America’s violent and antigovernment KKK militia movements set in the Pacific Northwest.
Please visit Christian Crow’s LinkedIn site for additional information: https://www.linkedin.com/in/