A Connector of the Community - An Interview with Jo

Known affectionately as Jo, Bookbus driver and library professional Jo Howard has been driving the Bookbus for twenty-seven years.

…the most endearing is our Jo. We are mostly older souls, but she knows each and every one of us, our varied tastes in books, and ability to get about. What a gem… ~ Denise 

And Jo – The driver of our bus. I could use many superlatives to describe Jo. She is wonderful and extremely knowledgeable, warm, caring, always with a lovely smile. We would not like to lose her. She is like her bus, unique. A one of a kind and could not be replaced. ~ Valerie

Jo is a loved and respected member of Dunedin communities, a celebrity of sorts in her weekly arrivals around town.

‘I’m so lucky, I’m so fortunate,’ says Jo, ‘To have this job, the community, the people are always so happy to see you. The work also allows for my artistic practice. How lucky am I?’ She laughs, ‘The Bookbus is quite a social job, and working with clay is quite solo. You build up a relationship with customers, so it’s a good balance.’

Out and about in the community, Jo likes to create a welcoming space for people, ‘It’s not just about the books. It’s human connection. A lot of people don’t see a huge number of people during the week,’ She pauses and smiles, ‘At one of my stops, a little group of customers didn’t know each other before they came to the Bookbus — they’ve become friends. They give each other lifts to the Bookbus, and then go for coffee afterwards. They are looking out for each other now.’

The key to Jo’s success as a librarian is found in attention and conversation, ‘I keep my eyes open, notice what people are reading, and my ears open, I get good recommendations for books from kids and adults.’ Jo works intuitively with people, passing on books-to-read and continuing to build her vast repertoire, ‘It’s such a pleasure matching people up with books.’

Jo’s philosophy is: to be creative; to be kind; and to keep her hands in the soil.

Thank you, Jo, for being at the heart of our community.