I, a young ice bear, have been on an amazing adventure to learn more about the library, and so far, I've learned a lot! For those that don't know me, I am Vanilla Ice Bear, a member of the Children's team at the Main Library. I mostly help out with Story Time with my mom [Haylee Blystone] and can be seen involved in a variety of other projects. Recently, I have been traveling around the library system to seek out the coolest employees and learn what they do. This time, we're staying home again and heading over to the adult department to meet with Kipp Hadli. My mom says he's been here a long time, so let's what kind of wisdom he has to share with us!

Sitting down with Kipp Hadli

Vanilla: Hello! Thank you so much for meeting with me today. I'm excited to interview you!

Kipp: My pleasure. I'm glad to be here. 

V: Thanks! Have you read my blog before? 

K: No. [full of guilt]

V: Wow. Okay, so you don't know what you're getting yourself into. 

K: I have no idea. I like to go into everything flat-footed, no warning whatsoever. 

V: Well, I did some research on you before this interview, and I found that you have been at NPL for a while. 

K: Yes.

V: But you haven't always been on the library side of things. How long have you worked at the library? 

K: I'll have to add it together. Because it was like, my first born, he was born two months, or like a month after I started. I started on August 16th, and he was born September 11th. So, like less than a month. So, I think it's what, 24 years now? 

V: 24 years?!

K: Yeah. 

V: I didn't know you were here that long. I knew it was a while, but not 24 years.

K: I've been at the library for 24 years. 

V: Holy cow. If you had read my blog, you would have known that I asked Andrew this question last time, because he's been here for like 15 years, but he hasn't gotten, or almost 10, and he hasn't gotten a pin. Have you gotten an NPL pin?

K: I do have pins somewhere, but I don't know where. It's not like I would display them anywhere, or wear them like, you know, like a soldier wears medals, you know? I wouldn't do that.

V: Are they cool though? Do they look cool?

K: I guess. They're pretty, sometimes they're pretty generic, like a Metro seal. You get like a little letter with calligraphy, that says “Congratulations on your 10 years of loyal service”, and things like that.

V: Did the mayor sign it? 

K: Yes. Bredesen, Bill Purcell, Karl Dean, etc.

V: I don't know any mayors. I only know Freddy.

[Both laugh]

V: But wow, 24 years? 

K: 24 years. 

V: But you weren't always in the adult department. You started somewhere else, right?

K: I started in security. 

V: Wow!

K: Yes, I was 26 years old when I started. 

V: That's the age my mom was when she started! That's crazy. Wow, she could be like you.

K: Well, probably not, because most people nowadays don't work in a place longer than what, three years? 

V: She’s been here four years!

K: Well, she’s the exception. 

[Both laugh]

V: Okay, so you moved to security.

K: I was in security. 

V: So you started in Security and moved to Adult Services. So why did you transition from Security into the Adult Department? 

K: Because I'd worked in Security for 19 years at the time. Yeah, 19 years. I think I was the longest serving security guard at the library

V: That's crazy! So, you just wanted to do something different?

K: I desperately wanted to do something different. 

V: But isn't there kind of a lot of overlap? Not like, I know you guys aren't security guards, but in the Adult Services department a lot of the people you were helping as a security guard, you are also helping in the adult department. 

K: Correct, but now I get to help them in a different capacity. Like now I can give them computer help, help them find a book. Whereas before I just kind of helped them…..

V: Find the door?

K: …stay awake, obey the rules, give directions and yes, find the door. 

V: Was the transition hard to go from security to adult? Like was it challenging?

K: I don't think I really realized the challenge or paid attention to the challenge because I was so ecstatic to not be doing security anymore. I was so happy. 

V: It seems like it would be a lot of work. Like you don't take the elevator like we can. You must take the stairs, it seems like, and I don't want to do that. 

K: Yeah, well I mean I got to see a lot of the building when I was on the security side of library work. I could see all the floors and all the places and now that has narrowed quite a bit. Now, I feel I almost never see Special Collections over there or the people that work back there. 

V: That's true because you're mostly, I guess you're either on the first or the third floor and we're on the second floor. 

K: And I feel that I almost never see Children's employees either. 

V: We're very exclusive. That's why we have a door. 

K: Yeah, I know. 

V: Was it like that when you were security? 

K: I remember when there wasn't a door in Children’s. 

V: We didn't always have a door?  Wow!

K: I remember when the walls in Children's were yellow.

V: I bet that was not nice. I bet that was ugly. 

K: I liked that yellow. It was like a canary. If you want to see the original color, there's the staff restroom right outside these elevators over here, in that closet. Those walls have the original yellow of the whole department. 

V: Wow! I didn't know that. That's crazy that I'm learning so much about my own department! 

V: So have you been here as long as Rita has? Our page? 

K: When did Rita start?

V: Like 25 years ago, I think.

K: If she worked and she's been in this department as a page the whole time. She started in 2001, then she's been here longer than I have. 

V: I don't know if she started in 2001 or 2002, but she's been here over 20 years. Do you know Rita? 

K: Yeah.

V: Okay, so you guys have probably known each other. That's wild. So besides Debbie [Special Collections], has anyone been here longer than you guys? 

K: No, no. Debbie and there was a lady, Mary, I can't remember the last name that worked in, she either worked in Equal Access or the Talking Library. She was here about as long as Debbie was like 45, 50 years. You know, there was Mr. Kevin that worked at Inglewood, like his entire adult life. He started as a page when he was 16 years old and he worked at Inglewood until he retired, from 16 to when he retired in 2020. 

V: Woah. That's the goal! Like I want to stay in this library as long as possible. 

K: In fact, he'd been there so long that his car is on the mural, isn't it?

V: I saw the mural! I was like, that's crazy. There's a car there for some guy, but if he'd been there forever, like 60 years.

K: He wasn’t there for 60 years.

V: I don't know what age people retire, okay. I'm just a young bear. 

[Kipp laughs]

V: So, do you ever miss security? 

K: No. 

V: Oh, we'll say that you hesitated for a second there. It wasn't an immediate no. 

K: It's okay to have feelings, Mr. Vanilla, right? I mean, I'm very ecstatic that I'm no longer a security guard, but I had cubs, at the time, that needed to eat. I persevered.

V: I can't believe you were a security guard for 19 years. That's way too long to be in security. So, you probably already kind of mentioned this, but did being in security help you with being in adult services? Like, did you feel like you were overly qualified to work in adult services? 

K: No, I feel like it was a whole different world. It was just like going from hot to cold, cold to hot. I don't know how to explain it. Because I use different aspects of me, different parts of my, I guess, my brain, you know? 

V: Well, I could see that, like being on the library side of stuff, you must do more like with the computer and looking up reference questions. And like, security guard, I guess, doesn't really have to do that. 

K: Like, when you're a security guard, you don't have to deal with patrons the way I do now, in this capacity. Mostly as a security guard, you help people with directions, or you tell people what to do, or stop breaking the rules. And if they don't, then you ask them to leave. I’ll admit that is oversimplifying though.

V: But if you're an associate and you tell them to leave, if they don't listen to you, you can be like, I'm going to call security. So, then you're not the bad guy. 

K: Exactly.

V: Not that security is the bad guy, but they are kind of put in the strict guy position. 

K: Yes. 

V: Or at least here at Main, they are. Yeah. I wouldn't want to be in security. I want to be the good guy, I guess. 

K: I think some people may remember me from security. I don't know. 

V: Well, our patrons are mostly babies, so probably not, but staff probably. 

[Kipp laughs]

V: Did you get to do security at other locations or were you just at Main? Because I know now, they get to travel around. 

K: I did a couple, and those opportunities came in further down the line when I was in security, like maybe 2015, 2014, that was when we started venturing out to branches. Of course, first it was Madison.

V: Of course. 

K: I think I’d been to North a couple of times and Bordeaux. During the shutdown, not a shutdown, excuse me. 

V: The COVID? 

K: No, the Great Recession back in 2008, 2009. 

V: I don't remember that. I wasn’t born yet.

K: Well, I would work out at Bordeaux on Mondays, all day long. 

V: Wow. 

K: Well, I don't know if Bordeaux really needed extra help at that time because the manager who was over there knew everybody from the community, the neighborhood, and she knew their kids. So, if kids acted up over there, she would just be like, hey, sit down or I'm going to call your grandma. Sit down or I'm going to call your mom. And they would.

V: See, that's what I like! That's the cool thing about some of the little branches, I feel like, is that they have their own little community going on. So, everybody knows everybody. 

K: Yeah. It is not like that here. Well, you know, when I worked at Donelson during the close, there was a little community. 

V: That's true. I was there!

K: Yeah, I remember you.

V: I was very busy, though. I’m a hard-working guy. 

[Both laugh]

V: So, what brought you to the library? Was it security? You're like, I want to be a security guard at the library. 

K: I was a security guard at Lowe's. I don't know if it's Lowe's Nashville Hotel or Lowe's Vanderbilt. Back then it was Lowe's Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel. I was a security guard there for two years, which again is working in a different capacity than security here because at the hotel you're dealing with rich guests. At that hotel, especially dealing with folks with money, you don't really have to tell them what to do until they act out. I think the worst incident I had there was with a patron who was deep in his cups and was refusing to pay his bill and stuff. 

V: Okay, that sounds interesting!

K: That was an absolute PG version of that. 

V: I will ask no follow-up questions. I'm picking up what you're putting down. 

[Kipp laugh]

V: We're very blessed in Children's to not see any of that. The riffraff stays on the other side of the door.

[Both laugh]

V: Wow, you've lived many lives! So, you kind of mentioned Donelson and the closure from the fire. Were you affected deeply by the closure or were you having a great time at Donaldson? 

K: I would say that I had a great time at Donelson. It was very different. Branch life is different. I got to do more circulation work, which I kind of enjoyed. I don’t know if I'd want to do it all the time, and it's probably fading from my memory these last months back at Main, but I did like it. I liked the people there. I enjoyed being there, getting to meet other people and getting to experience a smaller community, smaller, in terms of space. Because being in Main, it's just so spread out. But Donelson, it's all pretty close together, and so you really get to know everybody, know the community. It's very different 

V: Do you miss anybody from Donelson? 

K: Yeah. Yeah, I do. 

V: Who? 

K: Is this going to be on the record?

V: Yes, it's going to be on the record. I miss Ms. Destinee!

K: I miss Ms. Destinee. She's very funny. Both Ms. Destiny’s out there. 

V: Yes, not to discredit either of them. I've interviewed both!

[Kipp laughs]

V: So, children's staff, yeah? 

K: Yeah, they're cool. 

V: They are cool. Children’s staff are the best!

K: Mr. Bailey. 

V: Sometimes. If I think about the book sale, I usually think about Bailey.

K: Mr. Wolfgang. Mr. Evans, I miss him.

V: So, lots of people?

K: Yeah. 

V: Hopefully, if they're reading this blog, they know that we love them. 

K: Yes. 

There's a lot of nerds here!

V: Okay, so the closure wasn't too, too bad. So, let's transition to talking about what do you do here at Main.

K: Okay, well, I work at the Fiction desk, Popular Materials you know, books that are not true. I work at the Non-Fiction desk. 

V: Books that are true!

[Kipp laughs]

K: I work in Public Technology. I help people with computer issues. I help them print documents. Sometimes I speak a little Spanish and help Spanish speaking patrons. 

V: Yeah, but you speak a lot of Spanish, don't you? 

K: Well, maybe. 

V: Are you being humble? I know you can speak Spanish. 

K: Yes, I'm being humble. Don't put me on the spot.

V: I'm not going to ask you to say anything in Spanish, but I have heard you speak in Spanish.

[Both laugh]

K: I have a program where I show movies twice a day, three times on Saturday, once on Sunday. 

V: Three times on Saturday?

K: Yes. 

V: Oh, a little birdie told me that you usually don't pick your movies in advance. Is that true?

K: Sometimes I do. And sometimes I fly by the seat of my pants. 

V: Are there any criteria? Or is it just, is it here? 

K: Well, they must be on a website called Swank, which shows us which movies we are licensed to show. They must be PG-13. Although I have gone beyond PG-13 on a couple of select movies. 

V: Well, you do work with adults. So, I hope that they're able to handle a little bit higher of a rating. 

K: If any kids come up there, make sure your parents are with you. I always try to make a sign and put it out to tell people if it's higher than PG-13. 

V: Do people ever request movies? 

K: They do. 

V: Do you accept requests?

K: Sometimes I do. Sometimes I'm like, no, I'm not playing that. I think the worst movie I showed up there was Monster Hunter.

V: I don't think I've seen that one.

K: No, don't. 

V: Don't recommend? 

K: Don't waste your time. 

V: What movie would you recommend?

K: Oh, where do I start? That's like... 

V: Well, for a young bear. For a young bear, what movie do you recommend?

K: Oh, a young bear. 

V: You know, I'm just a baby. 

K: Oh, gosh. Star Wars. You like Star Wars, right? 

V: I’ve never seen it. I’m uneducated. 

K: That's a good start. Star Wars is good. Princess Bride.

V: I've seen that! 

K: Okay. That's a very good movie for a young bear. 

V: Wait, but with Star Wars, what do you tell people to start with? Which one? 

K: Oh, the first one. The one that I started with. The first three, Star Wars 4, 5, and 6. Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. 

V: Okay, that's a good answer. 

K: Return of the Jedi is one of my favorite movies.

V: Is that the one with the Ewoks in it?

K: It's the one with the Ewoks. That's my favorite one.

V: I love Ewoks!

K: I know that Empire is the better film. Hands down, it's the better film. 

V: But Ewoks are so cute!

K: And that's the one that I remember really watching in the movies. I remember watching Empire, but just like faint memories. I was very young myself when Empire came out. 

[Vanilla laughs]

V: Okay, so you do a super cool movie program. Love it. Do you do any other programs?

K: Well, I'm going to start a Magic the Gathering program. 

V: Oh, there are lots of nerds in this library. 

K: Oh, yes. Yes, there are.

V: So are you teaching people to play or are you just creating a space for adults to play? 

K: I'm creating a space for adults to play. It was suggested that I do workshops and I immediately shut that down. I was like, I thought that I wanted to be a teacher at one time. I went to school for it for a little while and then decided there's no way I'm doing this because I don't have the patience to teach people. 

V: And remembering all the rules, like remembering if your creature has vigilance or not. It's very hard to keep up with. 

K: Yes, it is. Very hard. I don't know if I was asked, but I am almost 50 years old, so remembering stuff is kind of hard. 

V: Hey, I wasn't going to mention that!

K: I’m not almost, I am. 

V: You are, according to what, two days ago? 

K: Oh, one day ago. 

V: One day. The days bleed together, okay? 

[Both laugh]

V: Do you have a favorite creature type? Do you like a specific magic type? Obviously, I like bears. They're the best. 

K: I like green and red. And when I was younger, I had an ape tribal deck, which had a lot of apes in it. So yeah, I like apes. 

V: Apes?

K: Yeah, but I like apes in general. 

V: Is that your favorite animal? 

K: Yeah, gorillas are one of my favorite animals. I also like reptiles. I have a snake. 

V: Like actually?

K: I have an actual snake.

V: Like a pet snake?

K: I have a pet snake.

V: Named what?

K: Pliskin. 

V: What? 

K: Okay, so there's this movie by John Carpenter, which is not for little bears, and the protagonist of that movie is Snake Pliskin. 

V: The main character is a snake?

K: No, no, no. His name is... It's his nickname. 

V: Oh! 

K: Snake Pliskin. It’s Kurt Russell. 

V: I like Kurt Russell!

K: Yeah, and his name is Snake Pliskin. And it was suggested to me that I name him Pliskin.

V: I love naming things after my favorite movie characters. Like my dog is named Bella after Bella Swan from Twilight. 

K: Boo!

V: Her name is Bella Swan Blystone. 

K: Well, at least you didn't name her... What is it? Rene...

V: Renesmee? No. I only like Twilight. Not New Moon, Eclipse, or Breaking Dawn. I don't care about the rest of those. 

K: Did you ever see the prosthetic baby that they almost used for Renesmee?

V: Yes, with like the squished face or something!

K: Oh, what a nightmare. 

V: Yeah, that thing is horrible. 

K: First time I watched Twilight, I was at home recovering from a broken elbow.

V: Did you like it? 

K: Yes, I guess. 

V: It's not a trap. You don't have to like it. 

K: No. 

V: It's just like my favorite movie, you know?

K: I was in some pain.

V: So, it made it worse?

[Both laugh] 

V: Yeah, Twilight is not a good movie if you like good movies. Like, you seem like a movie connoisseur, so Twilight is probably going to be like bottom of the barrel for you.

K: I wouldn’t say that, but I talked to someone today, Corey, the new adult services manager, who asked me to pick my top five movies. And I thought, I'm going to have to think about that for a couple of days. I can't just rattle that off. 

V: So, if I ask you right now to pick your top five movies. 

K: Nope. 

V: Okay, well, mine are Twilight and probably Brother Bear. Oh, Brother Bear makes me cry every time.

K: Pitch Perfect?

V: I do like Pitch Perfect! Are you just calling me out right now? Because that's true. 

[Both laugh]

V: Okay, moving on to the next question. I just have a couple left and then we'll wrap it up. So now I feel like I know the answer to this question, but would you ever leave the adult department?

K: I don't think so.

V: That's what I thought. It seems like you're doing a lot of really cool stuff. 

K: Yeah, I'm happy. Content. 

V: And that's really all you can ask for from 9 to 5, 40 hours a week.

K: I'm more content now than I was for 19 years. Security is very grueling. 

V: They do a lot of work. Shout out security! You guys are good at your job. 

K: Agreed.

V: Okay, so before we wrap this interview up, do you have anything you'd like to promote or plug? Anything you're excited about for the future? 

K: I'm going to do my magic program, which is going to be the second Tuesday of each month. 

V: So, it's just going to be a monthly program? 

K: Yes. 

V: That's probably good. We don't want too many nerds here, right?

K: I wanted to do like five monthly, but I don't know. 

V: Yeah, maybe see how many people come, and then if you get a lot, there would be the need for twice a month.

K: I am not expecting a big turnout. Unless some of the YA kids come over.

V: My mom will be there!

K: Yeah?

V: Yeah, party!

[Kipp laughs]

V: Okay, well, I guess that's it.

K: I don't think I have anything else. 

V: Thank you so much for the interview! This has been great. Let's do it again. 

K: All right