How many more years of service?

It was a pleasant surprise to see Regina Brett's column on Cleveland.com earlier this week. Evelyn Janoch, Adult Services Manager at Rocky River Public Library took over and gave five great reasons why Ohioans should not let Governor Strickland shutter so many of the state's libraries with his budget proposal.

It was a pleasant surprise to see Evelyn take over Regina Brett's column because Evelyn was my boss at RRPL for 3½ years while I worked as a substitute reference librarian there while pursuing my MLS at Kent State.

Having worked with Evelyn so long -- but only for a fraction of her 32 years of library service -- I can tell you she could come up with 500 reasons why Ohioans should not let Governor Strickland shutter the state's libraries. A selfish one would be the recommendation she put in for me when I interviewed for the position I hold today as adult reference librarian at Euclid Public Library. I have it on good authority that Evelyn told my soon-to-be new boss Paul Gallmeier, "Oh, Paul, please hire him."

Maybe that was the final turn of the key in the lock for me. Whatever the case, I'm still at Euclid Public Library 7½ years later. Evelyn's still at RRPL 7½ year later helping people fill out unemployment cards, helping people find a way to repair their cars, helping young men stay on the straight and narrow path which leads them to becoming outstanding Marines, helping homebound patrons receive their books, and helping a husband fulfill a wish for his wife.

Helping. That's what Evelyn Janoch has been doing for people for 32 years. That's what librarians have been doing all across Ohio. That's what librarians want to continue to do for 32 more years, and 32 years beyond that.

Let's hope our politicians can help us continue to do it.

http://shutteredlibrary.blogspot.com/