Getting to know you: Robin Quinn
Robin Schroeder Quinn, 42, of Grant can be found most days at Hastings Memorial Library in Grant, where she works as a librarian.
Quinn was born and raised in Grant, where she and her parents, Doug and Kathy Schroeder, continue to reside today. She remembers “running wild” around town growing up, doing things like walking to the pool barefoot and popping bubbles in the hot tar on the street with her toes.
When she was younger, she thought she might grow up to be a singer, or more specifically a rock star. Life, however, took her on a different path.
After graduating high school in Grant, Quinn left to Hastings for her higher education. She earned degrees in English Literature and History during her time at Hastings College.
After graduating college, she considered getting a doctorate in history and becoming a college professor, or attending law school. She decided to take a year off from schooling before deciding on a career path.
During her year off, she worked in the college’s library and found she loved it, and she has been in the career ever since.
She has since returned to Grant and now has a 15-year-old son, Wyatt, along with five animals: dogs Jasper and Willow, and cats Andie, Mellie and Shakespeare. All three of Quinn’s cats are rescue animals, as well as Jasper.
She is currently a head librarian at Hastings Memorial Library in Grant, where she handles programming, selecting new books, helping find books for people, grant writing, and other administrative work.
One of the things she loves most about her job is the look on someone’s face when they find the book or information they’re looking for, or the look on a kid’s face who didn’t previously like reading once they find a book that makes them want to read.
“The library is more than providing a resource for people,” Quinn said. “It’s having a safe place to go, kind of like having a home away from home. It’s a place to gather, even though COVID ruined that for a while. It’s about the personal connections.”
Outside of her work at the library, she is a 4-H leader for the dog 4-H group, and she is on the 4-H foundation board. She is also a member of the alumni committee board.
Her favorite things about living in Southwest Nebraska is the quiet, and the wide open spaces.
She does miss having a Target store nearby, but is crossing her fingers the rumors about a Target coming to North Platte are true.
Quinn said she has a passion for genealology, and has found through a DNA test that she is mostly English, Irish, Scottish and a little German. Her family has been in the United States since nearly its founding.
“They didn’t come over on the Mayflower, but maybe they came over on the next ship after that,” she said.
Her family has been in Nebraska for around six generations now, and has spent their time in the state farming and ranching.
At one point, Quinn said, one of her ancestors was bringing cattle to the state from Illinois on a train. However, the bridge to take them across the Missouri River by Nebraska City was out, so they had to unload all the cattle and walk them across the river.
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