In honor of National Library Week, we thought we\u2019d take a look at those who have led the Davenport Public Library over the past 111 years.<\/p>\n
Even with this brief amount of information, it\u2019s interesting to note how the education, geographical origins, position longevity, and gender-based differences of our directors have changed over the course of a century:<\/p>\n
Marilla Waite Freeman <\/b>
\nTerm: October 1902 \u2013 February 1905<\/p>\n
The first director of the Davenport Public Library was born in 1870 in Honeoye Falls, New York. \u00a0\u00a0She received her library training at the University of Chicago under John Dewey.\u00a0 She died in White Plains, New York on October 29, 1961.<\/p>\n
Stella V. Seybold<\/b>
\nTerm: May 1905 \u2013 February 1906<\/p>\n
Ms. Seybold was born in 1879 in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from the University of Cincinnati. \u00a0\u00a0She assisted Ms. Freeman in selecting German books for the Davenport Public library collection before being named Director, a position she held until she married Frank J. Heinl\u00a0\u00a0 in February of 1906. She passed away September 28, 1966, in Cincinnati, Ohio.<\/p>\n
Grace Delphine Rose <\/b>
\nTerm: 1906 \u2013 March 1920<\/p>\n
Ms. Rose was born June 10, 1870 in Pennsylvania.\u00a0 While Director, she was appointed the president of the Iowa Library Association for 1912 and served as Camp Librarian at Camp Bowie Texas in 1918. After leaving Davenport, she established various library branches at factory buildings and in schools. \u00a0\u00a0Ms. Rose died May 25, 1958, in Kern, California.<\/p>\n
Grace Shellenberger<\/b>
\nTerm:\u00a0 March 1920 \u2013 March 1933<\/p>\n
Ms. Shellenberger was born in Bolivar, Missouri, and attended the Carnegie Library School in Pittsburgh, PA.\u00a0 She taught courses in children\u2019s library work at the State University of Iowa and worked to extend library service to Bettendorf, Eldridge and Buffalo.<\/p>\n
She served as our director until her death on March 29, 1933.<\/p>\n
Edna Geisler<\/b>
\nTerm: August 1933 \u2013 March 1946<\/p>\n
Ms. Geisler was born in Wilton, Iowa, and received her Library degree from Western Reserve University Library School in Ohio.\u00a0 She was vice-president of the Iowa Library Associate in 1938.\u00a0 She left Davenport Public Library to marry J. Andrew Davidson on March 14, 1946. \u00a0\u00a0Mrs. Davidson died Alhambra, California, on August 11, 1967.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Martin<\/b>
\nTerm: April 1946 \u2013 December 1954<\/p>\n
Ms. Martin graduated from the University of Iowa and worked for the Davenport Public Library for forty years, taking a leave of absence to work with the Library of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, in Washington D.C.\u00a0 She died May 16, 1983.<\/p>\n
Harold Goldstein <\/b>
\nTerm: February 1955 \u2013 September 1959<\/p>\n
Mr. Goldstein was born October 3, 1917, in Norfolk, Virginia, and received his Master and Doctorate degrees from Teachers\u2019 College Columbia University.\u00a0 He married Julia Deutsch on November 4, 1943, making him the first married director as well as the first male director of the Davenport Public Library.\u00a0 While director, he revamped the building by relocating the circulation department and adopted modern techniques in the circulation department.<\/p>\n
He died in Tallahassee, Florida on December 8, 1986.<\/p>\n
Oswald H. Joerg<\/b>
\nTerm: November 1959 \u2013 September 1970<\/p>\n
Mr. Joerg received his Masters degree from the Columbia University School of Library Service. He was director when the original Carnegie library began to disintegrate and was responsible for securing a $235,000 federal grant for a new Main Library and for hiring architect Edward Durrel Stone to design it.<\/p>\n
He passed away August 8, 1996.<\/p>\n
Judith Ellis<\/b>
\nTerm: 1970 \u2013 1982<\/p>\n
Ms. Ellis was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa.\u00a0 She earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Northern Iowa and received her Master of Library Science from University of Iowa.<\/p>\n
She served the Davenport Public Library for seven years as our Administrative Assistant before stepping in as the interim director.\u00a0 Eventually, she was confirmed in the position.<\/p>\n
She passed away in Colorado in 2003.<\/p>\n
C. Daniel Wilson<\/b>
\nTerm: 1982 \u2013 1985<\/p>\n
Mr. Wilson served as the associate director of the Birmingham, Alabama Public Library before moving to Davenport.\u00a0 After leaving Davenport, he served as director of the New Orleans Public Library system.<\/p>\n
Kay Runge<\/b>
\nTerm: 1985 \u2013 2001<\/p>\n
Ms. Runge was the Director of the Scott County Library System prior to working for the Davenport Public Library.\u00a0 She was appointed president of the Public Library Association in 2000 and was later elected councilor to the American Library Association.\u00a0 After leaving our library, she served as director of Des Moines Public Library.<\/p>\n
Meg Sarff<\/b>
\nTerm: 2001 \u2013 2003<\/p>\n
Born 12 April 1946 in Springfield, IL, Ms. Sarff received her Masters\u00a0 in Library Sciences from the University of Illinois. \u00a0She was Assistant Director of our library for twenty years before serving as Director.\u00a0 In 2003, she became our Customer Service manager before retiring in 2005.<\/p>\n
She passed away August 20, 2011, in Springfield, Illinois.\u00a0 We miss her.<\/p>\n
LaWanda Roudebush<\/b>
\nTerm: 2003 \u2013 2013<\/p>\n
Ms. Roudebush first worked at the Davenport Public Library as a reference librarian loaned to the Southeastern Regional Library System.\u00a0 Later, she was in charge of our Business collection, and spent some years as our HR manager, and then as a branch manager.\u00a0 She left Davenport in 1992, and, after working at two library systems in the Chicago suburbs and serving as director for the Fort Dodge Public Library, moved back as our director.<\/p>\n
During her decade as director, she oversaw the construction of two new branch library buildings and the establishment of new library technology and operating systems during uncertain economic times.<\/p>\n
We wish her all the best in her retirement!<\/p>\n
And finally, we welcome our newest director, KennethWayne Thompson<\/b>, who took up the directorship of our library April 8th<\/sup> of this year.\u00a0\u00a0 We can\u2019t wait to see how his guidance will shape our library in the years to come!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In honor of National Library Week, we thought we\u2019d take a look at those who have led the Davenport Public Library over the past 111 years. Even with this brief amount of information, it\u2019s interesting to note how the education, … Continue reading