Remembering Veronica Sheppard

By Corinne Neary

JEFFERSON MARKET LIBRARY’S LONGTIME CUSTODIAN, Veronica Sheppard. Photo courtesy of Jefferson Market Library.

On January 30, we lost someone who has been a part of the Jefferson Market Library family for over 20 years: our custodian, Veronica Sheppard. Regular library users will know Veronica. Her presence was a constant, almost as regular as the clock’s hourly ringing in our tower. She passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving our library staff reeling and adjusting to our new normal.

Veronica celebrated her 40-year anniversary with the New York Public Library in the fall of 2023, and she spent over half of those years with us at Jefferson Market. She sometimes said she was “willed here” by the spirit of Willa Cather (for whom our first floor program room is named). When she started at the NYPL in 1983, it wasn’t in the custodial department, but as a clerical worker–processing materials and checking them out to the public. She made the choice to transition to custodial work, as she put it, to show the men in that area that she could do it better. And she certainly felt that she could! 

Veronica was a city girl, born at Harlem Hospital in 1959, and was one of five siblings. When she was born, her family lived in an apartment on West 148th Street, and she continued to live there after the rest of her siblings had gone on to other places. In fact, she lived there until the day she died. She attended George Washington High School and Bronx Community College, and had wanted to work at the NYPL since the 1970s. She told us that she was finally hired in 1983 and wore a beautiful suit to the interview.

Never one to keep her opinions to herself, Veronica enforced the rules of the library, and sometimes found that people did not appreciate her input. If you’ve ever been shooed off for sitting on the stairs, accidentally fallen asleep in the reading room, or thought the reference room seemed like a good place to take a phone call, you’ll know what I mean. But Veronica did her job with a love for this building, and a pride in keeping it looking the best she could. Everything she did came from a place of love. If you are one of the many who knew her as a friend, you’ll know what I mean. 

We used to joke that Veronica was “house proud” because of the pride she took in her work. But we will miss her more for the wildly individual person that she was. She had style and glamour, and that shone through, even in her custodian’s uniform. Once, we had an after-hours program with drag queens giving makeovers, and Veronica was the first one in line. She took off that uniform, got her makeup done, and strutted around that stage wearing a fascinator headpiece and sequins. 

Often spending her breaks outside with her cigarette, she got to know everybody coming and going, and she loved to talk with them all. Sometimes it was almost impossible to get her to stop talking. Her laugh could be heard from far and wide, and it was almost impossible not to join in. Most of us at Jefferson Market have been here for quite a while, and Veronica knew our children and families and never failed to ask how they were doing. Once she knew and loved you, you had a friend and supporter forever. 

The next time you come by the building, when you’re walking up our spiral staircase or sitting in the reading room, take a moment to remember Veronica and all she gave to this library and community.