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08/03/2016 08:30 AMFor the past 38 years, Lois Baldini has worked at the North Haven Memorial Library, serving as the director for the last 33. She worked her last day at the library on July 29.
“I’ve reached the decision and feel really good about it,” says Lois. “It’s time to move on and go on to another chapter of my life.”
Retirement won’t bring much time for Lois to relax too soon as she is busy helping one of her two daughters plan her wedding. Both daughters live in New York City, but the wedding will be held in Connecticut in October. Once the wedding planning is finished, Lois plans to travel with her husband Phil.
As she wound down her nearly four-decade long career, Lois thought back on the road she traveled. While Lois has loved books ever since she was a little girl, her original plan was to become a teacher.
When Lois graduated from college, there were few teaching positions available. As part of a work-study program, she was placed at the New Haven Free Public Library. She had always loved the library, remembering visiting with her mother when she was little.
“I really needed a job and there was a full-time opening,” says Lois. “I was a voracious reader when I was a child. My mother would drive me down and I’d get my two books—that’s all you could get at the time—and when I could get myself down there, I’d go.
“When I was placed in the library, I realized it was what I wanted to do and went back to school for my master’s” degree, says Lois, who completed her degree at Southern Connecticut State University. “I love the books and I love the people.”
Lois was originally hired in North Haven as the library’s assistant director, a position she held for three years before taking over as director. As the library’s director, Lois is responsible for overseeing the building and staff and the development of the library’s collection.
“If there’s a problem, you try to solve it,” says Lois. “I try to anticipate the needs of the community before they even know they need it. I think that’s what it’s about.”
In addition to expanding the selection of books at the library, Lois has seen the library meet the community’s needs in other ways as it offers collections such as cake pans, knitting needles, cookie cutters, and toys to lend. The library’s programming for both children and adults has also expanded.
“Things change and we have had to change with it,” says Lois. “With the economy being the way it is, we have aimed to offer more free services like legal seminars and classes, as well as free entertainment.”
Lois has seen the community’s needs change over her years at the library. While there were a few computers when she started, she stressed that moving into the “digital age” has been the biggest change of her career.
“The computers definitely didn’t operate the way they do now,” says Lois. “Now most of our services are available online—our reference section, ebooks—and patrons can renew books online or place holds. You can borrow an ebook from home in your pajamas.”
With the shift to more digital materials, Lois does use a Kindle when she travels as she is still an avid reader, but when she is reading at home, she prefers a physical book. She enjoys a variety of genres and loves to read cookbooks as cooking and baking are also things she enjoys. Italian cookies are one of her specialties.
One of the highlights of Lois’s career was being a part of the library’s addition and renovation. She enjoyed seeing the change and expansion of the building. Having spent so many years working there, Lois says it will be “surreal” to not head to work each day, but she doesn’t plan on staying too far away.
“I will still come in to get my reading material,” says Lois, whose favorite book is Little Women. “I don’t know why people buy books when we have it here for free. There are some books I want to own, but for pleasure reading, you can come and borrow thousands of books for nothing, for free. The libraries are such a great resource.”
Lois will miss working with the library staff as well as seeing the patrons she has gotten to know over the past four decades. She has seen a generation come in to the library as children and they are now coming in with children of their own.
As she plans to continue to visit the library and is a 35-year resident of North Haven, Lois knows she will still see her staff and the patrons at the library and around town.
“We raised our children here in this town, they graduated from North Haven High School. We’ve been immersed in this community and it’s a great town to live in,” says Lois. “I’m just happy to have been able to serve the people of this town for all of these years. It’s been a pleasure.”