News about Staff and Libraries in the Region

Marc Lankin, 1955-2007 We were saddened to learn that Marc Lankin, Director of the Amesbury Public Library, passed away on July 5 after a six month fight against cancer. We all worked with him on one project or another and will miss him. Please visit the Amesbury Public web site at http://www.amesburylibrary.org/ for more information and to share your memories of Marc.

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There is a real flurry of departures as several of our Directors of Libraries announce their retirement! We wish everyone well and hope to see them here and there!

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Susan Schwarz of the M.G. Parke Memorial Library, Dracut:

When people say "you will know when it is time", they are not kidding. Mine came as we established the Long Range Plan Committee and I realized that for seventeen years it was easy to develop long range plans. The visions and dreams as imparted by the Board of Trustees had become mine. We needed to make the Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library an important and integrated part of the Dracut Community.

My first few years were a bit hectic. We made national news by being one of the first Libraries closed due to an override failure. However, looking back and with the benefit of hindsight, it was actually the beginning of the Dracut Library as we see it today. What you value least is what you take for granted and, once there was no ease of use, the Community joined together and raised money in six months to re open the Library. There was no looking back. Since that day the Library has continued to grow and to plan. When just ten years later, the Town voted to tax themselves for a new Library, it was the first, and so far, only debt exclusion passed in Dracut.

Today, I sit in a beautiful new building that has become a second home to so many residents. We can no longer say we know everyone. On the other hand, the vision that carried me through the closing and re-opening, the grant writing and campaigning, the construction and the move is now complete. I realized, sitting at the table that it was time for someone new to develop the next vision, the one to bring continued growth and success to this Library and this enthusiastic Community.

It is also time for me to begin to create new memories for my grandchildren and to re-acquaint myself with the far flung family. My husband is happily working in his second career, my three daughters are working hard in their own lives and my brothers are spread around. Life is too short to wait for the "right" time to come. The combination of feeling I have completed my vision as Director and the need to become integrated with the family again means it is time to go.

I leave on September 28th with a heavy heart having made some of the best friends a person can have but knowing that I have done my best to complete the charge given to me by three Trustees 17 years ago.

I guess I can only use the quote "Thanks for the Memories" and good luck to all of you.

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Mim Burbridge, Director of the Langley Adams Library in Groveland announced her intention to retire on November 15, 2007. Her last working day will be October 12, 2007.

Mim says: "I feel fortunate that I have had the opportunity these past "30" years to serve in a profession that I love in a community with wonderful people that I care so much about. I am really excited to start this new "chapter" in my life. I am looking forward to traveling, wintering in Florida, spending more time with my grandchildren and so many other activities."

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Sandy Small will be starting a new chapter and retiring as Director of the Newbury Town Library in August. She has been Director since September of 1987. She is "excited" about retirement and all it may have to offer. Her staff will sorely miss her expertise in librarianship and intelligent and friendly manner. We send her off with our best wishes for a happy and fulfilling retirement.

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Sue Ellen Holmes of the Stevens Memorial Library in North Andover will retire as of November 16, 2007. She became Director of the Library in November of 1990. But she has been at Stevens for almost 41 years! She began as a High School Page. She was then a Jr. Library Assistant while at college. In 1972, she became a full time Library Assistant. Following that she became the Assistant Children's Librarian and Children's Cataloger. She was Head of Reference for a short while working on her masters, completed at URI in December of 1977. She was hired as the Children's Librarian in the fall of 1977. She held that position for 13 years.

During the time Sue Ellen has been the Director, the Library had a major $2.5 million renovation and expansion. Technology has expanded greatly during those years. For many years she held positions on the Board for MVLC, including President. Sue Ellen has also been on the NMRLS Executive Board for the last several years.

She will probably take a few months to catch up with things at home and at a summer house. A lot of her plans will continue to revolve around her mother, who will need more and more help in the coming months and Sue Ellen wants to be there for her.

In her words: "I really hope that whoever is the next Director here will work with the staff. They are wonderful people who do a marvelous job and will continue to do so with or without me. As we move into our next century the next Director will need to be someone eager to work with the rapidly changing needs of our patrons, the community and technology. It is an exciting time to be a librarian. My time has seen libraries in transition, connecting the past with the present and the future. It is now up to someone else to set us firmly in this new century with its ever changing technology in order to meet the needs of our younger (and some older) patrons."

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Puppets against drugs at the Parlin Library
Ellen Baird, Parlin Library

This summer, kids 7 to 12 years of age have a unique opportunity to develop their tools to say 'no' to drugs. The Parlin Library has received a generous grant from Target Stores to implement an innovative program that combines art therapy and puppetry in order to teach kids valuable survival skills.

Expressive therapists will lead a weekly group on Thursday mornings that will focus on different issues that have been identified as important in developing strong and self-confident individuals.

For instance, one group will focus on resisting peer pressure. Kids will create puppets, develop a story and act out various situations to illustrate standing firm despite pressure. This pretend practice in a 'safe space' will help protect when or if the child has to deal with a real life situation.

Each week, kids will create a different kind of puppet and will explore a different issue: positive role models, peer pressure, positive activities, limit setting, communication. In the final session, the community-including parents and friends- will be invited to a puppet play that shares what we have learned.

This group will meet for six weeks on Thursday mornings 10 AM to 12 noon starting July 12 and continuing to August 16.

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Congratulations to Nancy Aberman and Elizabeth Dickinson of Reading Public Library. Both have been named Lifelong Access Institute Fellows and will attend the Americans for Libraries Council's Institute in Chapel Hill, NC. Nancy and Elizabeth will be among 19 Fellows, selected from a field of 70 national applicants. The Institute will take place July 29 - August 3, 2007 at the University of North Carolina. http://www.lifelonglibraries.org/institute1.php#new_fellows