[Michlib-l] Community Programming Innovator Award 2020: Jane Gyulveszi

[Angela Semifero]

Sometimes the Loleta Fyan Small and Rural Libraries Conference Committee
receives a nomination that demonstrates exceptional service, creativity, or
community impact but that doesn’t necessarily fit in any one awards
category. In these cases, the committee has chosen to honor a nominee with
a special acknowledgement of their contributions to their library and
community.  Jane Gyulveszi, recently retired Director of the Bellaire
Public Library, is this year’s Community Programming Innovator Award
winner.

Jane Gyulveszi came to the Bellaire Public Library as Director in 2015
after two years of service at the Devereaux Public Library and many years
owning a bookstore in Ann Arbor.  Bellaire Public Library is a Class I
Public Library located in a village of 1,000 people.  In the five years
that Jane was at Bellaire Public Library, she transformed services,
managing growth in circulation, patron visits, program attendance and
community partnerships. She also transformed the library’s physical space
to make it possible to hold many different kinds of activities in the
library’s 3,000 square foot building.

When Jane started at Bellaire Public Library, annual summer reading
programming attracted 10-20 kids each year. From 2015 to 2019, those
registration numbers changed to 80-120 kids each summer. Jane worked to
connect to the schools, bringing school buses of children over to visit the
library and learn about its services. During her time as Director, the
library launched preschool programming, a young adult book club, knitting
groups, genealogy groups and a number of adult programs. She worked with
the Friends of the Library, the Library Board of Trustees, the library
staff, and library volunteers to purchase resources for the library and
build a variety of programs. Jane ran four book groups including partnering
with Grass River organization for environmental readings, local churches
for inspirational books, and mindfulness readings with local yoga students.
The library began showing movies, hosting travelogues, holding local
photography contests, and coordinating visits with local and national
authors.

Each year Jane worked with the Bellaire Chamber of Commerce to coordinate
live music events during the summer as well as partnering for the “Light Up
the Night” winter event, which included partnering with a local restaurant
for a soup night that brought in more than 400 people. Jane invited
Zingerman’s Bakery to present about the history of their business, hosted
readings with “Charles Dickens” for Christmas, and had half of the village
show up to watch Elvis perform. She engaged different groups of people in
the community by inviting community members to wear their Red Wings attire
for a showing of “The Russian Five” and holding annual sales with antique
vendors in the library’s parking lot. She held several costume contest
events to celebrate events like the anniversary of Woodstock (with live
music, of course!) and the Wizard of Oz. She took the library on the road
to places such as a local butterfly house and participated in the annual
Bellaire Rubber Ducky Festival.

Jane’s work at Bellaire Public Library reaffirms that small libraries can
offer big services. Her creativity and innovation in programming have
inspired her staff and her community to think big. Kay Rankin, President of
the Bellaire Friends of the Library described Jane as “a creative,
enthusiastic, and energetic leader . . . She makes people feel needed and
appreciated.  Jane has simply transformed our library into a thriving,
vital part of our community.”

AWARD COMMITTEE:

Sonya Schryer Norris, Library of Michigan

Carol Dawe, director, Lakeland Library Cooperative

Angela Semifero, director, Marshall District Library

Dion Mindykowski, director, Tahquamenon Area Library

Martin Gibbs, Library of Michigan Foundation Board Member

-- 
Angela Semifero
Library Director
Marshall District Library
124 W. Green St.
Marshall, MI 49068
(269)781-7821x11
semiferoa at yourmdl.org
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