I gotta start paying more attention . . .

When did our library director resign? Work is killing me, no time to pay attention! Two more months . . . . Or was it just the holidays?

There was no date on this, but its on the library agenda for Thursday.

To: Madison Public Library Board and Madison Public Library Staff
From: Barbara Dimick

After 35 years with the Madison Public Library,including 15 years as Director, it is time for me to retire as Madison Public Library Director.

The Library is in a good place right now- we’ve adjusted to new temporary headquarters downtown, system wide operations are running smoothly, and the lion’s share of planning for the new Central Library has been completed, with construction scheduled for March. Thanks to the efforts of architects Meyer,Scherer and Rockcastle and Potter Lawson, the expertise at City Planning and the support of the very successful Madison Public Library Foundation, lead by the incomparable Jenni Collins, we expect the new downtown Central Library to open in late summer or fall of 2013.

At the same time, our valued and much -used neighborhood community Library Branches are thriving. The Library Board, led by President Tripp Widder, has, over the past 11years, overseen the completion of seven Madison library building projects, including the opening the brand new Alicia Ashman Branch on High Point Road , expanding and refurbishing the Lakeview and Hawthorne Branches, upgrading the Pinney, Meadowridge and Monroe Street Branches, and most recently, opening a new
20,000 square foot Sequoya Branch on the west side, and a much-needed new
Goodman South Madison Branch Library at the Villager. The Library Board’s longer range capital plan foresees several possible new neighborhood library branches in the coming years.

The Library Management Team is in the process of creating a new three-year strategic plan to track our course and help focus the priorities and activities at all Madison’s libraries to advance learning and communication in our rapidly changing and increasingly digital world.

My last day as the Director at MPL will be February 24, 2012. I am recommending Susan Lee, Library Business Operations Manager, as Interim Library Director. Susan is well versed on internal and external library operations and activities, and will continue to work with the Library Board, the Madison Public Library Foundation, the South Central System and the City of Madison to ensure a smooth transition. City Human Resources, with the Library Board, will work out a timeline and the specifics for a nation-wide
search for a new director.

Thanks to each of you on the Library Board for working to make MPL the best it can
be-a great library system in a great city. And a special thanks specifically to the terrific MPL staff who really make the whole thing work to meet the needs ofthe many people who value and use Madison Public Library.

From my perspective,the best is yet to come.