NOTL man takes library helm
News
Posted By Penny Coles
Posted 2 months ago
Jim Crux is taking over as CEO of the NOTL Public Library.
|
|
The local library will soon have somebody back at its helm—a librarian from Niagara-on-the-Lake.
After struggling without a chief executive officer for more than a year, the library board welcomes Jim Crux, a local man who is a retired school librarian.
The last CEO at the NOTL Public Library, Greg Smith, took over the position in June 2008 and lasted only eight months.
Library board chair Marilyn Davis said the town has had difficulty attracting a CEO—a two-month search was unsuccessful because candidates were hesitant to relocate due to the high cost of housing.
So Crux, a member of the library board, applied. "I knew I not only had the knowledge and experience to do the job but had the advantage of already living in the community," he said.
He resigned from the board once he was short-listed for the position, and officially begins as CEO June 22.
He retired as a teacher-librarian from the District School Board of Niagara in 2001, where his career included six years working at Parliament Oak and Col. John Butler. He was seen as a trouble-shooter in school libraries, going where help was needed, especially in the automated systems.
After retiring from the DSBN he took a position as Chief Librarian at Niagara Christian College in Fort Erie, and retired for a second time in 2008.
Always involved in community volunteerism, Crux said, "after retirement from Niagara Christian College I had the time and the opportunity for public service."
Joining the NOTL library board was a "natural progression," he said.
At that time, he was familiar with the library as a patron—one of the first things he did when he moved to town was join the library.
He found the staff helpful and knowledgeable and said he saw no issues that might indicate any difficulty. But as a board member, he saw the challenge of liaison with the community—an issue he hopes to improve.
He comes at it with an advantage. Instead of taking time getting to know staff, the town, who does what and who to contact, which would normally be the first challenge of the job, his ties to the community and his connection to the library has given him a head start.
And with the opening of the community centre next year, he sees all kinds of possibilities and opportunities.
"The library needs to reaffirm its connection to the community. There is a need to be more visible and for more interacting with community groups and those who wish to make use of the library. That's an area that I would like to see enhanced."
He envisions more story time and activities for toddlers in partnership with the day care centre at the new community centre, and other opportunities to draw patrons from young mothers to seniors, sharing activities, programs and facilities once it opens.
"It's an exciting time for the library. As it is now we have a single public room available for community groups. But with a co-ordinated program with the community centre, we could have a Dickens Book Club meeting in one room and young mothers in another. There are all kinds of opportunities for local growth."
Topic guidelines: We welcome your thoughts, stories and information related to this article.
Please stay on topic and be respectful of others. Keep the conversation appropriate for interested readers.
