What’s happening at the Patagonia Library these days, besides the usual new bestsellers, author book talks and the recent snazzy remodel of the Teen Room? Importantly, there have been changes in leadership that are still evolving, ever since the retirement of longtime Library Director Abbie Zeltzer in 2019 after 25 years of service. Now, according to Town Manager Ron Robinson, “the Patagonia Library is going through a ‘reset’ as we prepare to hire a new Library Director.”
Small-town libraries have been called “community anchors” and “community meeting rooms.” The Patagonia Library is filled with resources for knowledge and enjoyment, with collections of books, DVDs, magazines and online resources like Libby for digital book checkout and Kanopy for films and magazines. It traditionally presents programs for children, youth and adults, and offers technology resources.
The library is managed and funded in large part by the Town of Patagonia, with monetary contributions by Santa Cruz County and the Friends of the Library. This year, the Town’s Library budget is almost $250,000 with an additional $35,000 from the Friends, which goes into the purchase of books and materials.
The County had verbally promised to cover around 17% of the Library’s budget, an increase from previous years, with the extra going to salaries. But in the end the County only came through to cover 10%. This will impact what the Town can offer to applicants for the Director/Manager’s position.
A bit of history is helpful to understand where we are today.
Soon after Laura Wenzel took over the reins following Zeltzer’s departure in 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic closed the library’s doors. Staff began working from home and taking turns working in the library alone two days a week, keeping the library going through remote checkouts and other support for the Town’s readers and media users. While making the best of a pandemic-library world, Wenzel worked toward her Library Support Staff Certification (LSST). This program, which is run through the American Library Association, offers coursework and competency-building for staff in situations where a community does not employ a master’s-degree level director.
When Wenzel resigned in 2022 to pursue another position in the community, Kayla Miller, a library assistant at the time, was hired as Interim Library Director. While running the Library, Miller developed youth programs and designed and oversaw the remodel of the recently opened Teen Room, including a mural painted by local artists. She earned the LSST certification but left the Library this August to move to Tucson and pursue further education.
After three leaders in the last decade, Robinson believed that the library would benefit from a reset. “Staff is brilliant and they know so much about the inner workings,” he said. “They are a town asset.”
He asked Summer Smith to temporarily step into the role of Library Administrator. Smith was hired by Town Council a year ago as Administrative Assistant to the Town Manager, and as such, can be asked to work in any department.
Smith said, “I have come over to the library to prepare for a new director. Standardizing procedures has been a goal, and staff has been leading in training one another. There have been maintenance and repair needs, so I have been working with the Public Works Department. The Library Advisory Board is helping me to update the Library Policy book. There’s a lot to do.”
“We plan to advertise the job opening starting in mid-November,” Robinson said. “We now understand what we need in a leader. I see the job as consisting of two parts: director and manager. The director’s side requires the skills and knowledge of a librarian: managing the library collection and the circulation desk, designing programs and working with staff to run them. There is also the essential back-of-house work: budgets, employee reviews, procurement, grant writing, maintenance of the Library building, etc.”
Former Friends of the Library Board member Marilyn Majalca has been observing and participating in the Library since before its current space was built.
“I think the people who have supported this Library for years have created a place that people have admired,” Majalca said. “We should ask, ‘How was the Patagonia Library named Library Journal’s second-best small library in the country?’ and focus on what it was that earned us that distinction. Over the years, the Friends raised money for expansion of the facility, and we worked with Abbie as she showed us what a quality collection looks like, and what programs could benefit the whole community.
“The Library is an essential service to the community for many reasons, and good leadership requires library science knowledge, management skills, consistency and a curiosity about the community being served. We should seek the most qualified person possible for the job.”