The public library has played a major role in Bryan Hissong’s life for almost 20 years now. He started out doing story times and puppet shows at various daycares, and he continued to grow in his career within the library over the years. Eventually, Bryan stepped into his current role as the Community Engagement Manager for the Frederick County Public Library. This new position was created for him to develop vibrant and quality programming that would be engaging for adults of all ages within the community.

Bryan always wanted to work in a service-based industry, and he believes that good leaders are actually good servants. He enjoys going out and making connections within the community, and beyond. Bryan and the library staff want to continue to be an equitable resource, so everyone can have access to valuable resources they need. Learning and listening is one of the best ways to lead in the community, and truly serve others. Bryan has learned that failing is even more important than success; while it’s important to learn from our failures, we don’t need to dwell on them. 

Bryan has found that embracing an iterative mindset versus staying stagnant in his career and life has been very important. He’s also seen that the ‘typical’ image of the public library has been shifting and changing for a while - it’s no longer a place to only study and be quiet. Tune into this episode to learn more about the innovative work Bryan is doing, and why the public library really is a fun and lively place for all ages!

About Bryan Hissong

Bryan Hissong has worked in public libraries for 19 years, and he is currently the Community Engagement Manager for the Frederick County Public Library. He practices servant-led leadership, and truly cares about serving the people he works with in the library, as well as the community and beyond. Bryan is a member of the Leadership Frederick County Class of 2023, and is an unassuming presence with a great sense of humor.

Episode Timestamps:

• Bryan’s story of working in public libraries for almost 20 years, and his current role as the Community Engagement Manager for the Frederick County Public Library {01:25}
• Finding and making engaging connections in the community and beyond {06:20}
• Bryan’s growth process into leadership over the years {07:48}
• Why failing is even more important than success {09:20}
• A valuable leadership opportunity Bryan experienced, which he now incorporates into his own leadership {11:10}
• How the ‘typical’ image of the library is shifting and changing {14:00}
• How the pandemic affected libraries {16:35}
• The importance of embracing an iterative mindset, and not staying stuck in your ways {19:40}

“It’s from our failures that we learn the most important lessons, and that’s difficult because it's not easy to fail. We can oftentimes be very hard on ourselves, but it's important we realize that growth and change is a part of life. We learn when we fail, so it's an important thing to keep in mind.”

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