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Mary Behrle came to the Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System (NMRLS) in February 2002. As Assistant Regional Administrator, she interacts with NMRLS members to provide services and assistance, oversees the consulting/training program and NMRLS communications, participates in state and region-wide collaborative efforts,
writes grant proposals and manages grant-funded projects, conducts some workshops, aids libraries in their long range planning process, writes Library Grant Links in the NMRLS Newsletter, and keeps pages of the NMRLS website current.
Prior to her time at NMRLS, Mary worked for ten years at Regis College in Weston, initially as Systems/Catalog Librarian and then as Director of the Library. Reporting to the Academic Dean, she managed the library needs of the faculty and students; hired staff and student workers; represented the library on faculty committees; and was involved in the busy life on campus. Regis College Library was a member of the WEBnet Consortium, and Mary served on the Bibliographic and Directors' Committees. She was active on the Metrowest Massachusetts Regional Library System Executive Board, serving as its Clerk for two years, and was Vice President/ President-Elect when she accepted the position at NMRLS.
Mary's first library job (thank you to John Adams of Danvers, Everett, and Salem Athenaeum) was as a Sunday staffer at Peabody Institute Library, Danvers. A college student at the time, she went on to spend nearly 15 years in Danvers, working on a large Dewey to LC reclassification project, at the circulation and reference desks, and finally as the Head of Technical Services for seven years, where she handled behind-the-scenes operations and interacted with NOBLE users' groups. In addition, she spent time in children's services at Beverly Public Library and as a cataloger at North Shore Community College in Beverly.
Coming to NMRLS tied together all these experiences and opened new opportunities.
Mary earned a B.S. in English from Salem State College, an M.S. in Library Science from Simmons College, and a Graduate Certificate in Administration and Management from Harvard Extension School. Among her favorite writers are Annie Dillard, John McPhee, and the travel narratives of Paul Theroux, Bill Bryson, and Mary Morris. She enjoys spending time with her husband of 37 years, her three adult sons, young grandson, and daughter-in-law; walking; knitting; and traveling.
Born in New York a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, Mary is a convert to Red Sox Nation, an essential in her family of males. After a long winter in New England, she looks forward to visiting her youngest son in Phoenix, taking in the Southwest and the Arizona sun, and attending spring training Cactus League Baseball.
Mary enjoys visiting member libraries, although she's been know to lose her way. Her secret dream job is driving a book/café lunch mobile, equipped of course, with GPS.
What's been the most fun about being at NMRLS? Working with NMRLS, network, and regional staffs; meeting staff, Friends, and trustees at the various libraries; and helping at Library Leadership Massachusetts (LLMA) Institutes and Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) Conferences. She's had the opportunity to attend American Library Association and Public Library Association (PLA) Conferences, where she helped facilitate two Talk Table discussions and plan an MLA pre-conference to PLA 2006 Boston.
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