As a child, Lisa Arsenault dreamed about moving away and working at a large daily newspaper outside of Maine. But as an adult, she realized there was no place like home. The Boothbay native returned home in June after living outside the state for the past nine years, working as a journalist and English teacher.

In June, she started her new job at the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library as the circulation librarian. Arsenault returned home with her fiance, Lee Fetters of Bellaire, Ohio, after becoming frustrated about missing so many family events and special occasions at home. Arsenault decided it was time to return when she wasn't able to attend the funeral of a family friend this spring.

Arsenault firmly believed she was on the path of a long career working for a big city newspaper in 1999 when she left for her freshman year at the University of New Hampshire.

She graduated in 2003 and worked for The Gloucester Daily Times in Massachusetts and later The Concord Monitor in New Hampshire. She worked in journalism for five years before switching to teaching middle and high school English.

“When I finally got on that career path I started to realize how much I missed living in Boothbay. When I was younger I never thought I'd someday want to return, but now I'm looking forward to experiencing all those things I missed about Boothbay,” Arsenault said.

As the new circulation librarian, Arsenault ensures that all books are properly checked out. She also communicates with other Maine libraries to coordinate the inter-library exchange program. Arsenault believes her background as an English major and teacher serves her well in the position.

“I've always loved people and books, so working here really fits in nicely with my experience,” she said. “Having taught both middle and high school English, I know what books are coming out and which ones that both younger and older students want to read.”

Arsenault changed careers in 2008 to become a teacher. She moved to Sterling, Colo., with Fetters. Arsenault described the community located near the Nebraska border as being a typical Western community. In Sterling, the couple met a community full of farmers, ranchers and cowboys.

She also described living in the West as being a completely different experience than living in New England or in Virginia where she taught school for one year.

“Sterling is located in the Great Plains so that's one major difference,” Arsenault said. “But out West is totally different. Everything is relatively new compared to the East. It has a different flavor to it and it's still a real 'frontier-sy' place.”

Arsenault said she enjoys working at the library because it allows her to enjoy two things she is passionate about: books and the Boothbay region.