Changing of the guard at Grand Forks and District Public Library
By Erin Perkins
Grand Forks and District Public Library director Heather Buzzell will be waving a fond farewell to Grand Forks this summer as she heads to Penticton for a new job to inspire the reading public at the Penticton Public Library.
Buzzell has been the library director in Grand Forks for the past three years. During her time here, Buzzell got the satellite library site in Christina Lake started up, she helped increase the number of programs hosted at the library, helped with the strategic plan and worked with staff to get the Evergreen library cataloguing system challenges ironed out.
“I have an excellent library board, excellent staff and I enjoy the team environment I have here and how everyone is committed to moving the library forward,” said Buzzell. “The community is great and supportive.”
At the Penticton Library, Buzzell will be chief librarian for a larger municipal library, which will offer her new career challenges.
She will be replaced by Avi Silberstein. Silberstein hails from the Greater Victoria Public Library where he is the outreach librarian. He will start at the Grand Forks and District Public Library on July 30 while Buzzell will be leaving August 17.
“I am very pleased (with Silberstein) as the new library director,” said Buzzell. “He has really great ideas, he is bright and energetic and can carry the library forward.”
Silberstein has a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Western University. During his time in Victoria, he was developed many outreach programs including ‘Bikemobile’ and ‘Library While You Wait’ programs.
“As our Library evolves to meet the needs of the Community, Mr. Silberstein has the talents to sustain the historical perspective that the Grand Forks and District Public Library enjoys as well as the visionary qualities to guide the Grand Forks and District Public Library into its new and exciting future,” said Grand Forks Public Library Association board chair Ted Invictus in a press release.
Christina Lake Library location also changing
The Christina Lake satellite library location will continue to serve the Christina Lake community, but from a new location.
Starting Wednesday, July 4 the library service will be located in the Christina Living Arts Centre rather than at the Village, where it has been for the past year.
“We are very thankful to the Village for having the pilot project there,” said Buzzell.
The library services at the lake began last year as a pilot project to see if the need was there. The project was deemed a success and will now be a constant fixture in the community.
The move to the Christina Living Arts Centre is mainly a financial one, as the Village is now charging rent for the space they kindly donated to the library for the past year. The arts centre is offering a lower rate, which is more attractive to the library.
The library services will continue, as usual, on every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the lobby at the Christina Living Arts Centre.
