Library Chat: A day in the life of a chief librarian

By Medicine Hat News on March 29, 2018.

April 2 is the first day of work for the new chief librarian of the Medicine Hat Public Library, Ken Feser. On April 5 you are invited to join us in welcoming him to the library and to the city with a public reception from 4-6 p.m. on the library’s main level. Snacks/refreshments will be served, please drop-in to join us.

For the past four months I have been the acting chief librarian, stepping in to cover the position after Shelley Ross moved into her new role as CEO of the Red Deer Public Library in December. In accordance with policy, administrative team members are required to take turns serving as the acting chief for a year at a time, being the go-to person when the chief librarian is absent for more than a week.

In 2017, I had taken my turn briefly while the chief went away on short vacations. I enjoyed the experience, knowing that the real decision-making would be made by the leader when she returned.

So, needless to say, it has been a bit of a learning experience to take over completely. It wasn’t really a shock, of course, because I had been the director of the Medicine Hat College Library for 30 years before taking my current position as head of fiction services at the public library.

A day in the life of a chief librarian can include working with city administrators, board trustees, library staff, both members of the union and the administrative team, the many valued partners we work with, a number of program presenters, committees in the community, the government and other provincial groups,the Shortgrass Library System, and, of course, our dedicated patrons.

The day can involve representing the library at partner meetings, authorizing expenditures from the budget, developing plans to fulfill the Plan of Service, which are the goals set by the board, talking with managers and staff about library services, working with city staff and the library’s caretaking staff to make sure the physical building is in good condition.

In the past four months I have unplugged toilets, replaced the flags flying above the building, talked with staff about health concerns and decisions affecting their lives, chatted with friendly patrons about library programs and resources, provided tours of the library for the chief librarian candidates and for politicians as well as a group of refugees new to the city.

I joined the committee of board and staff members developing plans for the successful Lovin’ the Library fundraiser. I was interviewed for the News and wrote articles and letters to the editor. I attended board and committee meetings and oversaw the addition of four new members.

During this time the library continued to be a busy place as we offered a record number of programs with a large increase in attendance, partly in response to the opening of the newly renovated theatre just at the end of Shelley’s tenure with us. If you haven’t seen the amazing new space be sure to come to one of the many events held in the theatre like movies, travelogues, music performances, and informational sessions. You may even rent the theatre or one of the other program rooms for a very reasonable rate. Have a look at the library website or call us for more information.

I look forward to passing the leadership role over to Ken next week and I know that the library will be in very capable hands under his leadership. Please help us to welcome Ken to Medicine Hat.

Keith Walker is (for a few more days) acting chief librarian at the Medicine Hat Public Library.