“I’ll do what I want, when I want. I’ll have more time for things like reading,” Gruber said with a smile. She knew when she reached a certain age that she would want to retire. She and her husband plan to take a fall road trip across the country to visit family and friends they haven’t been able to visit. “It’s hard to do when you work full-time,” she said. The casual trip will give them time to stop at national and state parks, something Gruber is excited about.
“I’ve loved all my years here. I’ve loved my staff, colleagues and the library. I will miss the people the most,” she added. “It’s a nice community library. The social aspect of chatting and getting to know people I’ll miss.”
Over the years the library has changed. It has grown physically and through access to information through the Internet. “Books are still the core of the library,” Gruber said. The Internet has become a vital part of libraries because it’s all about access to information. The integration of other media, like DVDs and music CDs has brought in a new group of people who use the library, she said.
“Libraries used to be a quiet spaces, but now it’s much more of a community center,” said Gruber.
Gruber’s favorite books (she couldn’t choose between the two) are “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett and “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden.
A new library director will be hired by the town, she said. “Change is good,” said Gruber. She doesn’t know who will replace her, but she is confident the library will continue to be an important part of the Windham community.
May 23 will be her last day and she plans to throw a pizza party for her staff.
No comments:
Post a Comment