‘ I love what I do which is why this is going to be bittersweet’

By Don Rush

A familiar face at the desk of Addison Township Public Library will soon be missing. Lynda “Lyn” Henderson is retiring and her last day of work is tomorrow, March 9.

“I was hired as a clerk in the fall of 2005 while still working as a school librarian in the L’Anse Creuse school district,” Henderson said. “I worked the 4-8 shift and alternated Saturdays. I retired from teaching in 2010, and was named Assistant Director in 2011. Last summer, I ‘semi-retired’ and assumed the position of Director’s Aide.”

She also served on the library board from 1989 to 1996.

“We moved to Clarkston 10 years ago, so I’m not just leaving this library, but cutting the final tie to this community. That’s going to be really hard,” she said.

Henderson believes libraries will never be obsolete, however she said they must constantly evolve in order to meet the needs of the community. “For example, at our library we’ve always had public computers on site, but we started circulating hot spots, and tablets for home or to take on vacation. Cable access is sparse in Addison, we have seen people sitting in our parking lot on the weekends just to use our wi-fi. E-books have seen a tremendous boom, especially since the pandemic. We now provide downloadable books, magazines, and movies. Technology is rapidly changing, and we need to keep up. Our residents deserve that.”

Over the years she joked “I’ve learned where all the bodies are buried.” Her favorite story from her time with the library was about a woman who came in to pay for a book her dog had destroyed. “The book was about how to train your dog. Honestly, that wasn’t the first or last time a dog ate a training book.”

She and her husband of 47 years, David, moved to Lakeville in 1977. They have three daughters, Liz who lives in Ann Arbor, Christi in Grand Rapids and Kathryn (Kati) lives in Brooklyn NY.

“We have a 14-month granddaughter in Ann Arbor, and seven-old- month twins in Grand Rapids,” she said.

As far as retirement goes, she plans on being busy. “We will visit New York City at the end of the month to see our daughter and catch a Broadway show and I have already registered to do the Las Vegas Rock n Roll 10K next spring with Kathryn. I want to do more races.”

She said she wants to learn pickleball and more importantly spend “quality” time with her grandkids.

“Over the past 17 years, I have worked with so many amazing people,” she said. “Our library is special because these folks love what they do. I love what I do which is why this is going to be bittersweet. I have grown accustomed to seeing people whose children grew up with mine.

“There are so many people I want to thank. All the library board members who have served over the years and given so generously of their time. The Friends of the Library who work so hard to raise funds for programming and never forget us during Library Appreciation Week. The Directors I’ve served under, the awesome staff, and the always-dependable library volunteers. Most of all the residents of Addison Township. You were the reason it was easy to walk in the door…and the reason it will be hard to walk out. I wish you all the best in building your new library, and look forward to seeing everyone at the grand opening. The men and women I’ve worked with are more than coworkers or colleagues. I consider every one of them a friend, and I will miss them very much.”