BY JOSH MROZINSKI
On Friday, she and around 5,000 other people saw the premiere of “The Hollywood Librarian” during the American Library Association’s annual conference in Washington, D.C.

“It was such an amazing experience to see yourself on the big screen,” Turrell, Tunkhannock library director, said. “You can’t take it all in.”

Written and directed by independent research librarian Ann Seidl, “The Hollywood Librarian” looks at modern American librarians and the services they provide.

“This really is the first film to take an honest look at librarians and who we are,” Seidl, whose consulting practice is based in Madison, Wisconsin, said.

Faced with a 50 percent cut in state funding, Seidl came to Wyoming County in 2004 to help the library develop a plan to secure and maintain stable funding.

A year later, she interviewed Turrell for her documentary, and spent about three hours filming the area.

“She filmed me walking out of my house,” Turrell, 62, said. “There were pictures of downtown Tunkhannock that were totally lovely.”

Seidl said Turrell’s dedication to the community, as well as her determination to raise money for the library, was impressive.

With the help of a few people, some $1.5 million in private donations was secured and a new home for the library was completed in 2000 on West Tioga Street.

The library, which was located formerly at the old Triton Hose House on Marion Street, now has 14,000 patrons and around 40,000 items in its collection.

According to the 2000 census, 28,080 people live in Wyoming County.

“The library serves the entire county,” Turrell said. “The film really points out the different benefits people get from libraries.”

The Tunkhannock library provides a chance to read a book or to do research on the Internet. Patrons can also borrow DVDs and request books by mail.

“A library is a very important asset to a community,” Turrell said. “It’s a place of lifelong learning. It’s one of the most democratic institutions there is.”

Throughout the year, the library also holds numerous events and fund-raisers.

“You never have enough funding to do what you want to do with the library,” Judy Cooper, librarian who also was interviewed for the film as was Pat Trowbridge, said.

Turrell, who is quoted in a story about the film that appeared in the Washington Post on Sunday, said that she hopes people who view the movie will see the value of libraries.

The Post writer identified some of Turrell’s unorthodox responsibilities as “tech support, plunging toilets, changing light bulbs, spraying for ants, browsing MySpace, dressing as Winnie the Pooh, proofreading résumés for library patrons, safeguarding against online porn, providing bono therapy and coordinating endless fundraising efforts that have included golf tournaments and square dances.”

Turrell said she was the only librarian representing a small town who appeared in the film, and she felt honored to be a part.

In the fall, the public may have a chance to see the film, which will likely be distributed to libraries across the nation, according to Mark Ibach, a spokesman for Seidl.

Until then, people can learn about the film by looking on the Internet, including youtube.com, where a trailer is posted with short takes involving Turrell.

“I probably would have never gone to YouTube,” she said. “I’d rather be a private person but when you work for a library you have to put yourself out.”