[Michlib-l] Final farewell

[Doug Koschik]

Hello everyone in the Michigan library world,

I've completed my last day as Director of the Baldwin Public Library and
begun my second career--as a retiree. I expect this second career to be
every bit as rewarding as my first one in librarianship.

In my 11 years as Baldwin's Director, I've managed--with the aid of many
talented and hard-working Library employees and Library Board members--to
reverse a serious budget deficit, re-establish good relations with the City
of Birmingham, add another contract community (the City of Bloomfield
Hills) to Baldwin's service area, make significant improvements to the
physical building, continue and expand on Baldwin's tradition of strong
collections and outstanding programming, create a unique relationship with
the Michigan Architectural Foundation which has added to our collections
and programming,  and see through the establishment of one of the best
library makerspaces in the country.

Yesterday, the Library Board and the incoming Library Administration
surprised me taking two steps in commemoration of my retirement:

1. Establishing a Library endowment fund in my name, and

2. Renaming the local history room as the Legacy Room, to memorialize all
of the Directors of the Baldwin Public Library--past, present, and future.

I am deeply honored and touched by these actions.

Many people sent me lovely letters and emails in August, after I announced
my upcoming retirement. I'm certainly not trying to encourage people to
repeat what they've already said to me, but in case anyone would like to
contact me in the future, my home email address is: koschik at comcast.net.

Baldwin will remain in excellent hands under the leadership of Director
Rebekah Craft and Associate Director Jaclyn Miller. I would like to thank
Rebekah for all of the help and support she has given me as Associate
Director over the past 5 1/2 years.

Finally, attached is a recent photo showing the Baldwin Library at dusk,
taken at the direction of Luckenbach Ziegelman Gardner Architects by
photographer Laszlo Regos. The recently expanded Youth Room is the portion
that is brightly lit. The photo really does the Library justice as the
jewel of the community.

All the best!

Doug

-- 
Doug Koschik
Director
Baldwin Public Library
300 W. Merrill St.
Birmingham, MI  48009
E-mail: doug.koschik at baldwinlib.org
Telephone:  248-554-4681
Fax:  248-647-6393
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