Library Chat: Things I’ll miss

By Medicine Hat News on November 10, 2017.

As I contemplate leaving Medicine Hat to go run the Red Deer Public Library I thought I’d dedicate a column to the many great Hatters I’ll be missing when I go.

First off, many thanks to all library supporters who have helped us keep your library at the peak of perfection over its 103 years. You renewed your memberships faithfully and also bought tickets to fundraisers and participated in our special events all while enjoying our regular services and programming. You always provide helpful feedback so that we can make good changes when opportunities arise.

Most recently, many thanks for helping us fully sell-out our theatre seat plaques as a way to commemorate loved ones or share pithy quotations. We’re so excited to share the rejuvenated and newly accessible theatre with you in just two weeks’ time.

I’m going to miss working with the great community leaders, from all walks of life, who bring to your library a great deal of common sense and passion as members of the library board. Tasked with all legal responsibility for the operation of your library, these fine folks approve a budget that attempts to make the most of the money we receive from the city, the province and in donations from you, grants, and fees and fines including room rentals. They also worked with you and with library staff to create our 2018-2020 Plan of Service which is the compass the next chief librarian will use to set course for library operations.

In fact we need four new library board members to govern the library so please consider submitting your application to the city clerk. For more information about being a library board member call or stop in at the library.

I’ll be very sorry to leave behind MHPL’s dedicated volunteers who serve community needs in many different ways. For example, the Friends of MHPL have had an outstanding year which included two book sales and the first time Cock-A-Doodle-Poo fundraiser, by all measures a crowing success.

Don’t forget to volunteer to help with, and shop at, the Dec. 1 and 2 Midnight Madness Book Sale. If you don’t want legal responsibility for the library as a board member, join the Friends and take on a little bit of fiscal responsibility while having a lot of fun.

I could fill a whole paper with thank you notes to all the wonderful patrons I’ve had the privilege to meet and to sing the praises of your outstanding library staff members. It’s been a real privilege to serve you, thank you very much.

Shelley Ross is chief librarian at the Medicine Hat Public Library.

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