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4 RI Library Directors Retire
By karen | June 15, 2011
There was must be something in the water, or in the air. This June, four long term directors of Rhode Island public libraries are retiring, leaving some very large shoes to fill. The Office of Library and Information Services thanks these directors for their many years of dedicated public service to their communities as well as their contributions to the library community as a whole. We wish them all the best in their retirement!
- Janet Levesque, Cumberland Public Library. Janet is retiring after 30 years of service and several construction projects that made the Cumberland Public Library one of the gems among Rhode Island public libraries. She has served many statewide library organizations and institutions, including the Library Board of Rhode Island and the RI Library Association. Long time Assistant Director Celeste Dyer will take over as director of the Cumberland Public Library.
- Joan Hackett, Harmony Library, Glocester. Joan is retiring after 30 years of service at Harmony Library. A dedicated children’s librarian and director, Joan has served in statewide capacities including the Public Library Standards Committee that developed the 2000 Edition of the Minimum Standards for RI Public Libraries. In a creative arrangement between the two independent libraries of Glocester, Gayle Wolstenholme, current director of the Glocester Manton Library, will also serve as director for the Harmony Library.
- Susan Aylward, North Kingstown Free Library. Susan has worked at North Kingstown for 35 years, starting as a page and working her way up to director, a position she has served in for the past decade. In addition to her work at North Kingstown, Susan has been active as a board member and president of the Ocean State Libraries consortium.
- Frances Farrell-Bergeron, West Warwick Public Library. Fran has served as director of West Warwick Public Library for the past 17 years. An erstwhile reference librarian, she has also worked at the Providence Public Library. Fran has been active in the RI Library Association, the Ocean State Libraries consortium and has served on committees for the Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative and the 2000 Edition of the Minimum Standards for RI Public Libraries. For many years, Fran was a co-host of Library TV (L-TV).
This latest group of retirees joins Judith Bell, retired director of the Jamestown Philomenian Library, and Carol Brouwer, retired director of the North Smithfield Library, both of whom retired earlier this year.
If you have retirements or other staff announcements, please feel free to send them to the OLIS Webmaster for publication on Rhodarian.
Topics: News & Information | 1 Comment »
June 21st, 2011 at 11:09 am
Best wishes to all of these recent retirees, it has been a pleasure working with each of them. Indeed there are some large shoes to fill.