Head librarian to retire after 34 years

After nearly 34 years of service, Irene Ingle Public Library will be getting a new head librarian after Kay Jabusch retires at the end of this year.

She began there in June 1980, working closely with Irene Ingle – the previous head librarian for whom the library was renamed – before taking over her position after Ingle's retirement on Jan. 1, 1981.

When Jabusch retires from the position on Jan. 1, 2015, assistant librarian Margaret Villarma will likewise assume the post.

"I think the transition's going to be very smooth," Jabusch said. Confident in Villarma's abilities, Jabusch recommended her assistant for the position.

"It's going to be interesting," Villarma admitted, though she said she is prepared for the change.

"There's a lot of detail to the job," Jabusch explained. "She will be in charge of the entire facility."

Besides maintaining the library's collection, the head librarian also is responsible for two full-time employees, system maintenance, budget management, working with the Friends of the Library, updating the Wrangell Borough Assembly on library matters, and grant writing and reporting.

Jabusch said grant reporting is of particular importance. Wrangell's library has built up a good reputation for its reporting methods, which besides being sensible bookkeeping also places the facility in good stead for future funding opportunities.

Though a department funded by the City and Borough, the library's programming is largely supplemented by grants through such organizations as the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An IMLS grant submitted on the library's behalf by Wrangell Cooperative Association funds its e-book service.

"It's just a little thing, but it makes a huge difference to the library," Jabusch said.

Other grant funds support the interlibrary loan and youth reading programs, facets of the library's services that diversify its functions and provide something for most all of its users.

"People use the library for many sorts of reasons," she explained.

A lot has changed for the library since Jabusch first started. The then-Wrangell Public Library was smaller than it is now. It was expanded in 1993.

"That was a big project," she recalled, with around 1,000 boxes of books having to be kept at Stikine Middle School, the fire hall and Wrangell City Hall during the interim.

But lugging boxes was not the most difficult part, she said. "It was putting all the shelves together."

There have been tremendous strides in technology as well. In 1980 the library only had manual typewriters for librarians to use, and it would be another year before seeing its first personal computer. Even by the time of the expansion, Jabusch said they had not imagined needing more than two computers at the library.

Now library patrons can download electronic copies of books or listen to audio discs of their favorite novels, and children can make use of special early literacy tablets. The library even keeps a conference room available for teleconferencing.

New technological improvements have also affected cataloging. Three years ago the library fully revamped its system, doing away with index cards and switching to a computer and bar-code based system.

"It used to take us quite a while," Villarma recalled, compiling data for reports and keeping track of where the books were going or when they were due. "It's much better service for the public (now)", she said.

"The one thing that hasn't changed is the community's support for the library," Jabusch added. To thank them for their continued support, she said she plans to host a catered farewell event at the Nolan Center on

Dec. 13.