This article is part of Overloaded and (Often) Unpaid, a joint solutions journalism project on caregiving and mental wellness between the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative (of which Watershed Voice is a member) and the New York and Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative, a partnership of news and community organizations dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about successful responses to social problems. The groups are supported by the Solutions Journalism Network.

Watershed’s Amy East writes, “My brain, bless its little heart, is probably (and maybe optimistically) described as organized chaos at any given moment. Where my husband thrives in an environment that’s as close to sterile as possible, my office (house?) currently has piles of somewhat related materials scattered throughout. And I know where everything is so that, when I need it, I can find it. It drives my husband nuts. I wouldn’t say I run on pure chaos, because pure chaos has me in this particular place and time, but I also fight structure. I’m complicated, what can I say?”

Doug and Alek are joined by Three Rivers Library Director Bobbi Schoon to discuss the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of a two-time interim library director with five degrees (Spoiler: It’s Bobbi, the Thanos of library directors), who has ascended to the full-time position after years of hard work and dedicated service to the Three Rivers community. The trio talk about the importance of local libraries, the variety of activities folks can participate in at the library without ever picking up a book (they’re getting robots, guys), Bobbi’s bout with COVID-19, and the library’s upcoming Community Conversations series.