Meet Our Staff: Preston

Jessica and Molly are ready to welcome you to our Preston location, where they are always happy to show off the beautiful backyard garden, Seed Library, and tool collection, all of which are exclusive to this location.

Jessica, the Senior Branch Assistant, has been at Preston since 2014. Molly started at the Old Post Office’s Discovery Centre in 2021 and has served as Preston’s Youth Services Team Lead for the past year. They are both proud to play a part in Idea Exchange’s vital role within the Preston community.

What current project of yours are you most excited about?

Jessica: As I write this, we’re gearing up for another busy Seed Library season. Our volunteers are filling hundreds of packages of seeds daily, and I’m busy organizing the inventory in our storage room to keep things running smoothly throughout the spring and summer. It’s thrilling to watch the demand for seeds grow every year as our members become more passionate about growing food and planting native flowers to support our local pollinators.

Molly: I am currently working on our plan for summer programming. I am so excited that we will offer programming in our beautiful community garden again this year! Programming outdoors allows us to explore new forms of learning and get creative with how we express ourselves. It is also an excellent opportunity to discover more about our garden and natural pollinators.

What are your hidden talents or hobbies?

Jessica: I’m usually hard at work on some sort of finicky craft project, such as hand-quilting patchwork blankets or hand-binding one-of-a-kind editions of my favourite books. 

I’m also a big Dungeons & Dragons fan; I met a great group of like-minded folks at one of the D&D sessions at Idea Exchange about a year ago and we’ve been playing a regular home campaign ever since. Shoutout to the Wednesday night D&D crew!

Molly: I am super interested in local history and genealogy. I often go down ‘research rabbit holes’ to learn about specific people and places or to try and solve little long-forgotten mysteries. I have found our Vernon’s City Directories incredibly helpful for this. 

I am also quite crafty and enjoy making homemade cards for friends and family.

What is your favourite book to re-read or movie to re-watch?

Jessica: I have a sacrosanct tradition of snuggling up in front of the fireplace and devouring a steady stream of Reids caramel apples while I re-read Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus every October. Perfect for getting into the cozy fall vibes.

Molly: Anne of Green Gables has been my comfort re-read for as long as I can remember. I am also a big fan of Anita Diamant, and often gravitate to her books when I want a good historical fiction re-read. No matter how cheesy it is, I re-watch Love Actually every December.