Say hello to La Crosse Public Library's newest Information Services Manager-to-be (ermm...that would be me). I received my Letter of Offer today, and assuming the criminal background check and drug screen come back okay, I will hit the floor running on June 1. (Thank goodness I gave up opiates for Lent!) The folks I interviewed with were sharp, funny and passionate about their work and community. The library was impressive to me, and to the locals I interviewed while I was in town, including the hotel maid who talked my ear off about the library's services and programs.La Crosse itself was charming and downright exotic to this lifelong central Illinoisan. It just felt like a good place to be. The Raccoons, Jr. are on-board and up for the biggest adventure of their lives and Mr. Raccoon has been waiting patiently for me to shake things up a bit. Consider them shook!
Big thanks to all of you who have offered advice and encouragement along the way. Your friendship and collegiality have been invaluable.
The flip side of this is leaving a community I've known my whole life and colleagues I've known, admired, and learned from, the past 10 years. I'm sure I'll shed more than a few tears the next few months, but am excited about giving my best to a new community and library.
Congrats on the job & welcome to Wisconsin. You're in a great town & great library!
Posted by: Terry Dawson | 2007.01.02 at 11:13 AM
Congrats!! I used to work at LPL. It's a great library with a wonderful director.
Posted by: Dan | 2006.04.05 at 10:07 AM
WoooHoooo!
Congratulations. Very happy for you!
Posted by: Michael Stephens | 2006.04.04 at 01:11 PM
Ditto-ness. All that. w00t, in particular! Big moves do expand boundaries. I am closing in on six months in my new position, and getting that wonderful feeling of actually knowing what I am doing most of the time. Where I am. Where others are. Give youself lots of room to grow, and wallow in all the support you will most deservedly receive.
Posted by: lislemck | 2006.03.31 at 12:19 AM
um, what they all said!
I have to say it, too, though - congratulations! most excellent! well done! well-deserved! whoo-hoo! and w00t!
except that I'm sad you're leaving Illinois, but at least we'll share a border....
Posted by: Jenny Levine | 2006.03.29 at 11:01 PM
Congrats! If you feel like wandering a bit west to Rochester, give me a shout~!
Posted by: Mary Beth Sancomb-Moran | 2006.03.28 at 03:51 PM
Congratulations!! I'm very happy for you. :)
(*waits patiently for a post from Michael Stephens about reinvention*)
Posted by: Rikhei | 2006.03.27 at 06:25 PM
Weekend jaunts down the Great River Road... you are one lucky lady.
And LaCrosse is a lucky library system.
Posted by: Dorothea | 2006.03.27 at 01:17 PM
That's wonderful! I'm excited for you, and I sure hope the folks in Wisconsin are, too. Congratulations!
Posted by: Laura | 2006.03.27 at 10:51 AM
Congratulations! That's excellent news.
Posted by: Samantha | 2006.03.27 at 10:48 AM
Yay! Congratulations!
Posted by: bentley | 2006.03.27 at 06:41 AM
Gee, I thought I had commented! So many posts, so little time... in any event, huge congrats!
Posted by: kgs | 2006.03.26 at 09:27 PM
Congrats, it's very pretty there.Maybe I'll see you at the WLA conference?
Posted by: jessamyn | 2006.03.26 at 08:47 PM
YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look out LaCrosse!!! They are so lucky and smart to have you there. You are a phenomenal librarian and will impact many people as you have in central IL. Yay!!!!!
Posted by: Kelly | 2006.03.25 at 11:51 AM
Yea! Congrats!
Posted by: Brian | 2006.03.25 at 09:49 AM
I knew you could do it! And I'm glad your daughters are on board also! It will be an adventure. Go in with an open mind. When we moved to this community, I spent time learing about it, and now I actually know more than some of the natives, so treat this as a new learning opportunity.
Go Rochelle!
Posted by: Michael Golrick | 2006.03.25 at 08:29 AM
Seee? Didn't I tell you you'd get the job? Huh, huh? :D
Posted by: Juniorette | 2006.03.25 at 07:39 AM
Congrats on the new job!
Posted by: tangognat | 2006.03.24 at 11:41 PM
Congrats! I will miss you. Much luck on the new adventure and hope to see you at conference.
Posted by: matt | 2006.03.24 at 09:18 PM
Wow! Congrats! La Crosse is lovely & they've got a great library. If you're ever in the Madison area, feel free to drop me a line!
Posted by: nichole | 2006.03.24 at 07:03 PM
Congrats here too. My one memory of La Crosse (1992, Wisconsin Library Association; I went for the whole thing plus an extra day to save air fare--and yes, I visited the library) was very positive--a fine place. Enjoy!
Posted by: walt | 2006.03.24 at 06:21 PM
Congrats Rochelle!
Posted by: Mark | 2006.03.24 at 05:43 PM
Hey, that's wonderful! Congratulations!
Posted by: V Smoothe | 2006.03.24 at 05:41 PM