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The staff who stayed
I have the pleasure of posting a public comment made at the April 2023 Niles-Maine District Library Board meeting. The author, Pat Ansuini, began at the library as a page, and I remember being struck by her eloquence at a staff day. Each department was asked to write positive comments about another department, and Pat…
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Next Steps
With the Niles-Maine District Library trustee election in less than a week, I find myself thinking about next steps. I feel optimistic about the library now. People have put in the work to find good candidates, and make sure the community knows about them and realize what’s at stake. My husband has spent every weekend…
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The Candidates
It’s kind of amazing that nine people are running for the four seats that are coming open on the Niles-Maine District Library board of trustees. Normally, library trustee races are sleepy and there’s often a certain amount of arm-twisting that takes place to persuade good candidates to run. So that’s a thing to feel positive…
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Miss Loretta
When I began working in the Children’s Department at the Niles Public Library many years ago, Miss Loretta was already 75 years old. She looked like the classic “little old lady” because she was small and had wrinkles, but that twinkle in her eye, that spring in her step, that youthful outlook in life made…
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Public Comments
I know it will come as a shock, but the Niles-Maine District Library Board meeting this week had some very weird moments. First, Board President Carolyn “Never met a rule I didn’t like” Drblik introduced a new rule–no standing in the meeting room. She then immediately invited everyone to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.…
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You’re Out of Order
I’m not going to lie…last night’s Niles-Maine District Library board meeting was pretty boring. You can watch the meetings streaming on YouTube or watch the recordings later, but honestly most of the time you will need to play Spelling Bee or knit or something to keep your eyes open. And that’s a good thing. Board…
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A good week
I am really happy to say that this week has been an exceptionally good one for the residents of the Niles-Maine District Library. Monday marked the first day to submit petition packets to run for the office of library trustee in the April election. You’ll recall most of the library’s problems started two years ago…
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Seraj Library Project
Here is a bright spot in an otherwise pretty grim landscape when it comes to Palestine and Israel. The Seraj Library Project has been working for 15 years to build libraries for children in the West Bank. The little libraries–12 now–provide peaceful havens for their communities, where daily life under occupation is incredibly challenging. I…
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Destruction
I have been incredibly blessed by my grandparents’ decision to build a family cabin in the north woods of Michigan. I have gone there for more than half a century to visit the lake, the chipmunks, the chickadees, the tall pines, the lovely ferns, and to reconnect with the person I was and have the…
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Seven Trustees at Last
It’s amazing. The Niles-Maine District Library has had an open seat since August 2021, and under the leadership of Board President Carolyn Drblik, they were completely unable to select a new trustee from the dozen candidates who took the time to write a letter of interest and be interviewed. And yet somehow a mere week…
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Something Different Every Day 