Paula Hammond Receives September 2025 Employee of the Month

Escambia County is excited to recognize West Florida Public Libraries STEAM Instructor Paula Hammond as the September 2025 Employee of the Month. Hammond's selection was recognized with a proclamation during the Sept. 4 Board of County Commissioners meeting.

Hammond's career with West Florida Public Libraries began in 2013 when she joined the Century Library as a part-time employee. Since then, she has filled several roles at the Century Library, including serving as the acting branch manager for a year and a half. She is always willing to lend a helping hand however she can and has been celebrated by her team members for her positive demeanor.

In her current role as a STEAM Instructor, she provides science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics programs for patrons at the Century and Molino libraries. Hammond's tie-dye program at the Century Library is popular among library patrons, bringing dozens of people to the library each month to experience hands-on, creative activities.

"We are incredibly proud of Paula for her endless dedication to the Century library and our patrons," Interim Library Services Director Christal Bell-Rivera said. "When people in Century think about the library, they think about Paula. She is a fixture in the community and is known and loved by many of the regulars that visit the library. She is extremely deserving of this recognition, and it is an honor to celebrate her as the Employee of the Month."

In addition to the STEAM programming and her other regular branch duties, Hammond manages local outreach for the Century Center for Rehabilitation & Healing, providing interactive crafts for elderly adults designed with their skills and abilities in mind.

"Working at the Century Library has brought me great joy over the years," Hammond said. "I look forward to the outreach programs that we do for the community and surrounding areas. Century is my home, and I see great things happening in the future there. I am honored to be a part of the West Florida Public Library system."

Paula Hammond, STEAM Instructor for West Florida Public Libraries, is recognized as the September 2025 Employee of the Month at the Sept. 4 Board of County Commissioners Meeting.