Enjoys the community

By Don Rush

It’s been three months since Rosie Walker took over the reins as Addison Township Library Director and she is still excited about her job. She replaced Dennis Hillers on July 11.

“Addison Township is a rich and exciting community,” she said on the mark of her third month anniversary as librarian. “I am more than privileged to serve and the longer I’m here I see how special this community is, how beautiful it is, the community pride, the trust between neighbors and the history. Through understanding that, as librarian, I want to support, enrich and empower this community.”

To do this, she said, she has become a good student of the community and a good listener.

“I’m from a small town myself,” she said. “Our Main Street is a dead-end, I think the only one in the state of Michigan, so that’s our claim of fame. Baroda, Michigan – near St. Joseph, Benton Harbor area. In small communities you learn from the ones you want to serve. What does a community need, what does it want and love? You take that and then provide your own expertise and creativity come up with a strategy.”

Using creativity comes in handy when developing the library’s collection, programming, resources such as technology, streaming and different platforms like e-books. Programming, she said, can be a large canopy, covering events like tutoring, trivia nights, Dungeon and Dragon and genealogy and reading programs. “But, it starts first with listening, then acting,” she said.

Walker, 35, received her Masters degree in Library and Information Sciences from Wayne State University and prior to Addison Township Library, worked as a librarian for Rochester University.

One of her main goals is to help get the new proposed library built. Currently, the library is housed in an old strip mall. “Getting it built is very high on my list for the future,” she said.

The library boardobtained approximately 3.8 acres bordered by Rochester Rd. on the south, Cantley on the west and Milmine on the east, to build a 5,000 square foot facility. The current library, where they have been located since 2011, is only 3,000 square feet and houses a collection of 27,000 items.

Walker also feels it’s important for her to build a strong, working-relationship with the library staff. “We’re working on teamwork and interpersonal skills. We have a lovely bunch of women who work here so I want to serve them well, too. I see myself as a customer relations manager – I’m here to meet their needs, also give them professional development and get them where they want to be, their goals and dreams. I am a big cheerleader here.”

Walker said there are six people on her staff, five substitutes and “a handful of wonderful volunteers.”

She said she wants to make the Addison Township Library a “cultural hub” for the community. “A place where people come to grow, learn, connect and be entertained.”

She would like to develop more of the area’s history into programming and build co-operative relationships and opportunities with surrounding libraries, like Oxford. “I want to make this a center of information that is always just flowing,” she said.

The funnest part of her three months, she said, was being able to play Dungeons and Dragons. “This library used to host D & D regularly, then took a break. We just started it up again last month and we are going to be doing it the first Saturday of every month at 11 a.m.,” she said. “I’m a big fantasy nerd, so getting to play the game has been an absolute joy. This is for players of all ages and levels. The youngest was 12 years old, the oldest almost 50 I believe.”

She also enjoys when small children come to the library for story time. “Hearing their responses is fun. It gets really loud in here. I can’t make phone calls during that time,” she said with a smile. “Whenever there is a group of kids in here, feeling safe, secure and heard, it’s so important and helps them in the celebration of learning. Getting to see that with the little ones is one of the best parts of this job.”

The hardest part of the job, she said, is as a non-profit, is making sure she “dots all the I’s and crosses all the T’s.” “I have many, many, many folders of paperwork to go through. Paperwork isn’t as fun as being with the kids, but it has to be done and I’m privileged to be able to do it.”