Grand Marais Library Director Linda Chappell is retiring. Her last day at work will be April 15. Chappell is looking forward to having more time to work in her garden, hike, quilt, spend time with family. And of course, to read!
If you ever needed a warm smile and a friendly greeting, the library was the place to go. Linda Chappell was always there for a good word and ready to help you find that book or magazine that you were looking for. But with all things, an end must come. As noted author Josh Jameson said, “There comes a time when you have to choose between turning the page and closing the book.”
For Grand Marais Library Director Linda Chappell, that time is now. Her last day at work will be April 15.
When Chappell moved to Cook County in the mid 1970s with a degree in art and minors in English and history, she first found work, “making beds and working in restaurants,” until a part-time job opened up at the library in 1977.
“It seemed like a perfect fit for me with my education and my interests. Plus, Mary Alice [Harvey] was a perfect mentor for me. She taught me so much and she was so nice to work with,” Chappell said.
In 1991 Chappell became the library director, receiving certification through Wisconsin and Minnesota programs and taking on-line classes throughout the years to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of the business of running a library.
“It’s been a great experience,” she said, but she is ready to call it a day and start a new chapter in her life.
When asked about her first literary memories, she replied, “My mother used to read to us. Then, when I learned how to read [kindergarten] it wasn’t long before I was reading to my brothers and sisters. One of my favorite books when I was little was The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. I have strong memories about that book.”
Written in 1942, the story is about a little house that is built in the country on a hill but over time a city grows up around it. The builder’s grandchildren find it and move it back into the country. Back to its rightful place.
The library has grown in many ways over the years. In 1960, said Chappell, the library had 2,481 books. Today it houses 20,138 books and offers 7,000 e-books. She said her biggest accomplishment was overseeing and working through the new library expansion.
“We changed locations twice in six months. My, that was a lot of work. It was a huge job.
“But the new space allows us to do so many more things. We have room for a gathering of 100 people now. We have 7,000 e-books people can download. Instead of one print copy of a magazine we have magazines on-line and a dozen people can come and read the same magazine now on their laptops if they want to.
“And being part of the Arrowhead Library System and the interlibrary loan program, we can get books from all over, usually within three to five days. We have a lot more services to offer than in the past.”
Because of the varied interests of the public, Chappell said she was able to order a wide variety of books on a myriad of different subjects and, “Someone was always interested in a book. It didn’t matter what it was. We have a lot of people with wide ranging interests in this community and that made it easy for me to order.
“The electronic side of the library has really grown, but story telling will always be there, although the delivery format is changing. In the beginning stories were told on stone tablets, then on papyrus paper and now on smart phones, but whatever technology we have, stories will be told forever.
“I feel this library will always be a gathering spot just because of the nature of our far flung community. It doesn’t matter what your education is or your income, the library is welcoming and it is here for everyone. It’s truly a community-funded program. If you don’t have a computer at home, we have computers here. If you want to build a deck or learn how to make a cake, you can get that information through the library.
“I have never had a dull moment in my job. I have met many interesting people and have had a great staff and great library boards. There have been a lot of supportive people that have helped me along the way.
“Some of the strongest library supporters throughout the years have been Leonard Sobanja, Frank and Ruth Gillis, Mary Alice and Frank Hansen, Howard Sivertson, Lyle Gerard, Walt McCarthy and Wes Hedstrom. Wesley used to say that it’s [library] the one institution that everyone in the county benefits from.”
In her retirement Linda hopes to have more time to read, work in her garden, hike, quilt, and applique. She also hopes to visit relatives in San Diego and San Francisco next winter and spend more time with her husband and her grown children.
“I don’t know who the new director will be, but they will getting a great staff. I will miss my co-workers and the people who come here, but I am looking forward to retirement, to take some time to relax, to take some time to read. I like mysteries and literary fiction and some non-fiction, books about history,” she said, her face lighting up with a big smile.
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