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Technology vs. My Brain
So I have been director of another library since May. I began as interim director, realized how much I liked it, found out that my pension would NOT be reduced by taking the job (if I didn’t stay longer than four years), and let them know I wanted the position. In most ways, it’s been…
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Should We Close?
Oh, January. That month where, if you live in the Midwest like those of us in the Chicago area, you know that sometime, it will probably snow. Maybe flurries, or maybe a blizzard. And at some point the weather forecasters will start warning about snow, which could be terrible…maybe. Probably, but maybe not. In some quantity,…
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A New Day at NMDL
Today marks an important day in the Niles-Maine District Library story. Things are in motion. Throughout the terrible time after the Drblik-Makula-Schoenfeldt-Hanusiak board took control, the department heads stayed stable. Despite the disparagement they received from the Board, and the constant threat of service, program and personnel cuts, they knew their staff and patrons were…
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Forever
I always thought I would march in the Fourth of July parade again. I always thought I would go back to the Niles-Maine District Library again. It genuinely never occurred to me that I wouldn’t, because of course I would! If we all worked to get the awful people out of control of the board,…
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Not my favorite
June 18th is not my favorite anniversary. This year, it marks two years since the conclusion to a hellish two months of waiting to be fired after the awful Drblik/Makula/Schoenfeldt/Hanusiak board was elected. And if there’s one thing I can tell you for sure about all that, it’s that making sure a good board is…
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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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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…