South Georgia Regional Library assistant Director of branches Kelly Lenz.

Perhaps it’s just coincidence that Kelly Lenz has an Irish name and grew up in Dublin, Ga., a city named for Ireland’s capital.

The fact that Kelly is her first, not her last name, is just one of those things that would throw off an ordinary observer, but Kelly is a woman who has a certain je ne sais quoi. Je ne sais quoi is the French term for “I’m not sure what,” and indicates a quality that is at once mysterious and intriguing. It’s what makes James Bond a chick magnet instead of an ordinary flat-foot. It’s slightly magical, like what separates muggles from wizards in Harry Potter lore.

It’s not unusual then that Kelly is a Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling fan. Being a librarian is a perfect occupation for someone who is slightly magical and doesn’t want to broadcast the fact. She also enjoys Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series, Lemony Snicket, and especially “Flotsam” by David Wiesner, which is a story told entirely in pictures, with wonderful illustrations and no text.

Further confirmation of her magical status is the fact that she has two cats. The cats really dislike each other, she said. They started out with one cat — Catherine, and then acquired Tigger to provide a playmate for Catherine, but their cunning plan had a glitch in it. The cats are allergic to each other.

“I know that’s a cliché — librarians and cats. They go together,” she laughed. Both cats are females, she said, but they are very different personalities. They hiss and spit at each other, and take turns ambushing each other, like Inspector Clouseau and Cato in the “Pink Panther” movies.

“They just have this animosity,” she said, smiling.

Therapy is not an option, she said. Asked whether she had given any thought to getting rid of one cat so the other could have undisturbed rule of its domain, she said, “Oh no, we love them both. We’re very attached to them.”

Tigger is a very sweet, shy cat; very loving and lets Catherine boss him around. Catherine is very dominant and territorial. They are indoor cats. Kelly said that every once in a while they make a break for the door, a daring escape to the outside world. Yet, when they get beyond the threshold, they freak out and run back inside.

Had she thought about getting a dog to take their minds off hating each other? Kelly pondered the idea. “If there was a dog,” she mused out loud, “they’d have a common enemy they could hate together.”

She’ll have to consult Bradley about that possibility. Bradley is her husband and a student assistant at Florida State University, where he teaches humanities. The cats eat Science Diet — no human food, although she said they would if they got the chance.

Kelly has a degree in business administration and marketing from Valdosta State University and another in library and information studies from Florida State University. She’s currently working on her specialist degree.

South Georgia Regional Library hired her as assistant director of branches in 2008, supervising the other branches, ensuring compliance with library policy, overseeing programs, and coordinating

system-wide events, like the summer reading program. Her title has since changed to assistant director of public services.

One of her hobbies is collecting vintage fashion. She frequents antique stores in quest of antique costume jewelry and vintage clothing. She doesn’t patronize the high-end antique stores, but prefers “the junkie-looking stores with stuff cluttered around that are a mess.”

It’s like a treasure hunt, she said.

She recently found a vintage Oscar de la Renta scarf dress, which she said is beautiful. She displays her collection of antique rhinestone costume jewelry in a glass-top coffee table at home, so people who visit can see it. Many people don’t realize that antique clothing is often made from expensive, high-quality materials that would be too expensive if purchased new, she said.

Another attractive feature of vintage clothing is that it’s somewhat unique. Chances are you won’t run into someone at a party wearing the same Oscar de la Renta scarf dress with vintage rhinestone broach.

It’s said everything old becomes new again if you wait long enough. Is there a certain element of time travel involved in wearing fashions from a bygone era? Kelly neither confirmed nor denied my suspicion.

Another of Kelly’s hobbies is watching old, black-and-white movies, especially those that feature Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, and Elizabeth Taylor. Garbo has a great screen presence, she said. Favorite films include “To Catch a Thief” with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, and “Giant,” featuring Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. And musicals. The songs, dancing, and bright, colorful costumes in many musicals put her in a good mood, she said.

History is clearly a preoccupation. She loves to read historical fiction, especially books based on England’s Tudor dynasty, the British monarchy, Queen Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, and all that lot.

Kelly said she loves her job and co-workers and looks forward to going to work each day. She enjoys cooking Italian. Homemade minestrone soup, lasagna, and tomato sauce using all fresh ingredients are some of her specialties. She also loves Indian food.

She likes bike riding, tennis, and other outdoor activities. She also likes coffee and brownies. She has an impressive collection of brownie recipes. “You mean there’s more than one way to make brownies,” I naively asked. “Oh, there’s an endless variety of brownies,” she responded. “People don’t realize how diverse brownies can be. They don’t have to be chocolate. They could be caramel brownies with caramel icing, for example.”

The oldest of three children, Kelly often read aloud to her two younger siblings when they were children. Her father is a retired state patrolman with whom she shares a love of movies. Her mother still teaches elementary school. Her brother lives in Dublin and is pursuing a career in nursing and her sister, who also lives in Dublin, is working toward her bachelor’s degree.

Kelly’s grandfather, who passed away several years ago, was a farmer in Dexter. Her grandmother is still vibrant, loves to shop and go on trips with her church family.

“She’s quite a character,” Kelly said. As a child, Kelly said she wanted a pony, but her mother fell off a horse once and broke her arm, and she vetoed the idea. She couldn’t get a motorcycle because her state-patrolman father was very serious about driver safety and didn’t approve. They compromised and got her a go-cart.

Kelly loves the beach. She and Bradley and her parents go on family vacations together, most often to Jekyll Island and Hilton Head, S.C.