A Storied Career

Kassandre Innocent knows The New York Public Library from bottom to top because she started her three-decade career with the organization on the first rung of the ladder.

The library manager began her career in 1993 as a page at the 53rd Street location in Midtown, a job she got by word of mouth. 


“I had friends who were pages. This is before the internet, so I went in and asked, ‘Are you hiring?’ I was interviewed on the spot.” 
 At the time, the Hunter College undergrad was working towards a degree in social work.

When she graduated, Innocent pivoted and became a librarian instead.

Said the Brooklyn native: 
“The library always likes promoting from within. ‘Oh, you’re about to graduate, why don’t you try this?’ So, I became an information assistant [in Yorkville].”

While there, Innocent had a great mentor who encouraged her to earn her Master’s in library science, which she received from Pratt Institute. From there, she was promoted to her present position, which Innocent has held for nearly a decade.

What she likes most about her job as a library manager is NYPL’s presence in the community. She pinpoints her best day on the job as 
Dec. 30, 2024, when the Fort Washington branch reopened after a 2-year, $38 million gut renovation.

“Just people coming in who live in the neighborhood, who knew what we were like before, and were just so happy to have us open again,” she said. “Seeing the glee in people, and hearing ‘Thank you for coming back.’”

She said the best part of her job is watching her team grow — not in numbers, but in experience. “To see how they take the reins and their passion about their specialties, I just want to support them. That gives me joy. I’m doing what was done for me,” she said.

The worst part is when they spread their wings. “You want them to grow, but it’s hard seeing them go.”


As a born and bred New Yorker, Innocent said, “I’m motivated by the city.
I love the movement. I’m motivated by our neighborhoods and how they still need us.”

In an age of e-books and audiobooks, she added: “People like to come into the library and get their books. So that motivates us to keep going for them.” 


The librarian is particularly grateful for her family, her community, and her colleagues. “They’re a really great team. I have to give them praise,” she said.

When not conducting adult learning workshops, welcoming children and teens each to their designated floors, and generally helping patrons find what they need, Innocent devotes her personal time to self-care. “I do appreciate sleep and quiet time, because when you work in a library, you’re communicating all day.”

She also has a long commute. When it comes to her daily journey via Metro-North and the M98 bus, Innocent winks: “We make it work.” Just as she does each day at the Fort Washington branch of the New York Public Library.