Story Photos
 Geraldine de Rooy is leaving the Kelso library for the library in Pullman. Bill Wagner / The Daily News
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Kelso library director headed to Pullman
Friday, November 28, 2008 11:39 PM PST
By Amy M.E. Fischer
Printable version
E-mail this articleKelso Public Library director Geraldine de Rooy has announced she is leaving the struggling library in January for a job as Neill Public Library’s director in Pullman, home of Washington State University.
De Rooy, who was hired in Kelso in fall 2004, says it’s time for her to move on.
“There were a lot of variables that factored into my decision. I basically have done everything that I could for this particular library. ... There have been some really wonderful things that happened over the last four years,” said de Rooy, who received her Masters of Library Information Services from the University of Texas and has worked in public libraries for the past 16 years.
After de Rooy leaves, Kelso children’s librarian Cindy Donaldson will take over as interim library manager. Donaldson, who has been at the Kelso library 26 years, also will continue with her duties in the children’s department.
De Rooy’s departure comes at a time of uncertainty for the library. The city is cutting $50,000 from the library’s budget for 2009, which amounts to about 12 percent and could mean reduced part-time staff and shorter operating hours. If de Rooy hadn’t decided to leave, one full-time library staff position and all part-time jobs would have been eliminated, Donaldson said. The city’s budget will be finalized and adopted in December.
In contrast to Kelso’s library, the Neill Public Library is better funded and has several endowments.
“The Pullman library is a dearly beloved institution in that community,” de Rooy said Tuesday. “It’s going to be a good place to work.”
Given that Kelso’s library usage is increasing, which seems to be the trend during bad economic times, it doesn’t make sense to trim back Kelso’s library services, de Rooy said.
During city department budget discussions this fall, de Rooy said she pointed out that the number of Kelso library patrons had risen 19 percent this year compared to patrons between January and October of 2007. Also, the number of people using the library’s computer technology hub is up 24 percent this year compared to the first 10 months of 2007, she said.
People are using the library to search for jobs and write resumes. Families also seem to use the library more when they’re conserving costs at home, she said. People come in to research the auto repair books so they can fix their own cars. They’re dropping their newspaper subscriptions and reading the paper at the library instead, she said.
De Rooy observed that this year’s summer reading statistics were well above last year’s.
“I think that was directly impacted by the cost of gas, and families were looking for quality programming right in their back yard,” de Rooy said.
The state compiled statistics over several months this year to see how the economic downturn affected library use statewide. Those numbers will be compared to numbers from 2007, said de Rooy, who expects the results to be “really interesting.”
theraydude wrote on Nov 29, 2008 8:06 AM:
Viewpoint wrote on Nov 29, 2008 11:51 AM:
speak into the microphone wrote on Nov 29, 2008 12:45 PM:
Atrucker wrote on Nov 29, 2008 1:56 PM:
As it is now if you live out of town to far it gonna cost ya . $25.00 A year I think. Timberland does not do this . "
Dookie Lumpkins wrote on Nov 29, 2008 4:38 PM:
Beer&Skittles wrote on Nov 29, 2008 4:57 PM:
Viewpoint wrote on Nov 29, 2008 8:04 PM:
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