by Aimee Stone Munsell, with photos by Bill Snead
This article is part of a series of Durham community leader profiles. If you have a leader to suggest for a future column, please email aimee.munsell@duke.edu.
Leader works with Duke and others to expand resources for Durham community
For over a decade, Sarah Alverson has been a driving force in making the Durham County Library a more welcoming space for the entire community. Through innovative programming, strategic partnerships, and a deep commitment to accessibility, she has played a key role in ensuring the library is a hub for learning, engagement, and growth for residents, including people with disabilities.
The birth of a mission
Alverson started as a children’s librarian at Durham’s Stanford L. Warren branch. In her first week of work, she noticed an adult with disabilities and his caregiver exploring the children’s area.
“The visitor was nonspeaking but that didn’t stop me from having an hourlong conversation with him,” said Sarah Alverson, Community Engagement Administrator for Durham County Library. “He helped me shelve and pull books. We gestured and used facial expressions to communicate. Afterward, his caregiver told me that they had been coming to the library for over a year, but no one had ever talked with them before.”
So Alverson got to work. “I started programming for adults with disabilities the very next week. I expected maybe ten people to attend the first event. Instead, over forty-seven adults with caregivers showed up!”
Bringing first-of-a-kind experiences to Durham
That experience sparked what has become an enduring drive in Alverson to understand and create a welcoming place for area residents. She was instrumental in creating new spaces at the Main Library in downtown Durham to ensure individuals with different sensory needs and preferences can comfortably access library resources. Today the library hosts a Multi Sensory Environment, a Sensory Calming Room, and an Inclusive Play Area.
The Multi Sensory Environment is a first-of-its-kind in a public library setting and has been widely utilized. The Inclusive Play Area has also significantly contributed to Main Library being named a top destination in Durham for families.
“The Multi Sensory Environment is by reservation only and last month we had over 100 reservations,” said Alverson. “We keep seeing more and more people using the space as people become aware that it exists.”
Everything in the Multi Sensory Environment is meant to be engaged with to create either a calming or stimulating experience. The room is customizable via iPads, which visitors can use to adjust the lighting and music. Multiple features can be used in different ways. Visitors have ranged from teachers and students, to occupational therapists and their clients, to parents along with their young or adult children. People who crave more or less physical and audible stimuli than the typical library experience provides get to enjoy and utilize the space how they choose with its customizable amenities.
Embracing Durham’s energy and diversity
Alverson’s journey to Durham was influenced by her passion for basketball. Originally from Southern California, she played college basketball in Pennsylvania. “I became friends with a teammate from Florida, and we asked each other, ‘Where would you ever want to live?’ I said, ‘I’ve always wanted to live in North Carolina. And she said, ‘Me too.’” Two years later, they made the move to the Triangle together.
“I didn’t know much about Durham apart from Duke…so, I had a learning curve. I started out working as a librarian in a historically Black library. Just driving around the library, it was obvious where the demographic lines were from Durham’s history.”
Her local experiences, and conversations with her husband, who is from Alabama, shaped her understanding of the South’s history in a way her formal education did not.
“One of my favorite things about Durham is its diversity and I just love getting to go into all the different schools and experience it. So often I get to dust off my Spanish.”
Alverson also spoke to the spirit of Durham. “Another thing I appreciate about working in Durham is the advocacy.”
“People in Durham will get behind a cause, rally other people, and get the support they need rather than waiting for things to change. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Sarah Alverson, community engagement administrator, durham county libarary
She also sees a willingness to be flexible and innovative here, which has made the library’s creative solutions possible. “In Durham, you can do things that fit your interests and meet community needs in ways you wouldn’t be able to do anywhere else.”
Partnering with Duke for community impact
Over the years, Alverson has cultivated meaningful partnerships to expand the library’s reach and programming.
“The library is expected to be everything to everyone, but we can’t be… The cool thing about Durham is that there are organizations and experts doing all kinds of amazing things.”
She has worked with many groups at Duke. She recalls working with the athletics department on multiple occasions to support story times and other library programs. In the early stages of planning her first college partnership event, because of a contact at Duke, the men’s basketball program heard about a program she was hoping to provide. “I was blown away when Coach K called me and said ‘What do you need? We’ll be there.’”
“We couldn’t do this program without the Duke tutors.”
maria ramirez, durham county libraray
Duke has helped the library connect patrons with a range of literacy and STEAM experiences that might otherwise be inaccessible, including:
- Duke Athletics’ Sports Storytime – Duke athletes participated in children’s story time events, engaging young readers in a unique way. “We had more fun with that than we probably should have… Throwing a Duke athlete in the middle of our story times was one of my favorite things to do.”
- Homework Con Amigos – Homework Con Amigos is a community-based program that partners with several Duke Service-Learning courses, including Spanish 308S, Spanish 307S, and Education 101. Each week on Monday evenings, Duke students assist with guided social homework time for students from Spanish-speaking families. In addition, LEAP collaborates with the library to provide one-on-one tutoring for students who need additional support.
- Regional Spelling Bee – The Durham County Library was a sponsor of the 2025 Regional Spelling Bee hosted by Duke. The winner of the bee received a trip to compete in the national Scripps Spelling Bee. The library’s mascot Read-a-Bull joined the event.
- Duke Graduate Student DIY Claw Machine Program – A hands-on event where teens built and coded their own claw machines with the guidance of an electromechanical engineer Duke student.
- Do Science with Duke – A collaboration with Duke postdoctoral researchers brought scientific exploration to library visitors.
- Coming soon: Duke Drone Club – Demonstrations and hands-on activities incorporating drones into STEAM and outreach programming. There currently are about 25 drones on their Tech Mobile that can be used for outreach and programs at the library to introduce the community to coding, aerodynamics, and STEAM careers.
A welcoming place “for both of my kids”
“This is one of the only places I can bring both my kids.”
durham county libraray patron
One type of feedback particularly resonates with Sarah. It is from parents who, visibly relieved by the spaces and programs the Durham County Library has created, tell her, “This is one of the only places I can bring both my kids.”
Residents can tailor their library experience
Alverson has also been a champion for inclusivity beyond physical spaces, spearheading programming and staff training efforts. Recently, the team made adjustments to help residents know which of the 6,000 programs are right for them. The team added descriptors such as “low sensory stimulation” to the online calendar, so potential participants — and parents — can select the programs that will work best for them.
For example, she says “one of our story time librarians is very routine and so gentle, which is great for some people who prefer a calm, soothing environment. Another of our librarians is going to see your kid, who does not want to sit still, jump up in the middle of the story, and take that as a cue to jump up too and get the entire audience dancing along.”
What’s next for Alverson
Looking ahead, Alverson is eager to continue growing community partnerships and developing new ideas. She is passionate about launching a book festival in Durham, and after talking with PBS Kids, she is working with Book Harvest to make it happen. Whether her next big idea ends up being “Book-a-Palooza” or something else, we know Alverson and the Durham County Library will create an enriching homegrown experience we can all fully enjoy.
