HAY RIVER - Adam Hill never thought he'd one day be working in a library.

"I'm a wildlife technician, actually," he said with a laugh when asked about his background.

Adam Hill is promoting literacy through various programs at the NWT Centennial Library in Hay River. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Yet, he is working as the program librarian at the NWT Centennial Library in Hay River.

"I am in charge of putting on cultural, educational and entertaining programs for the community," he explained.

That can include such eclectic events as community residents performing Johnny Cash songs, cooking demonstrations, a fossil hunt and a program called Armchair Traveller in which people tell of their journeys to different parts of the world.

Some of the ideas are Hill's own, including activities featuring his skills as a nature photographer, while other ideas come from the public.

"I'm just really open to taking suggestions from the public," he said. "The public is whom I'm serving."

A new activity starting Nov. 24 is a Philosopher's Cafe, which was suggested by two community residents.

"I think that's going to be a really great kind of brain candy night for people who just want to debate, people who just want to discuss ideas and different opinions," Hill said, adding the first evening of discussion will focus on the question: Is there a meaning to life and should there be?

The whole point of so many diverse programs is literacy.

"Everything is literacy promotion," Hill said. "If I'm doing my job and I'm doing it well, then people will be reading more."

That happens when participants in various activities seek to learn more about the topics. For example, when Hill hosted an evening to discuss vegetarian food, he displayed 10 books on the subject and seven were borrowed from the library afterwards.

"That was perfect," he said. "That's exactly what I want."

Aside from literacy, he said he hopes to see people interacting and socializing at the library.

Hill, 29, has lived in Hay River for a little more than a year, and started as a part-time program librarian in April. The position became full-time in October.

Originally from Cape Breton Island, he lived in various places - including a year teaching English in South Korea - before coming to Hay River after hearing a person could be a substitute teacher in the NWT with a university degree, not necessarily a teaching degree.

Hill has a degree in history from Acadia University in Nova Scotia and a diploma from a fish and wildlife technician program in Newfoundland.

These days, he is happy to be working at the Library.

"It's a great job because I can kind of make it what I want it to be," he said.

Hill said the biggest challenge of his job is to have successful programs that attract people to the library.

Many programs are successful, attracting 15 or more people, while some attract only a few, like the now-cancelled 'Get to know Canada' in which people would talk about their home provinces.

"It's always trial and error with this place," Hill said of the programs. "Some are well received, some aren't."

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