By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Wednesday, Dec. 3, marked the end of an era at the Otsego District Library.
That’s when the library hosted Santa Storytime, which was the final program for Diane DeVries after a decade of service as the ODL assistant director/program and outreach director.
Devries’ official last day in that capacity is Wednesday, Dec. 31. She won’t disappear, though.
Rather, she’ll then transition into a part-time role as community liaison and customer service manager at the library.
Santa Storytime was a bit of a bittersweet experience for DeVries.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity that was given to me to be the assistant director these past 10 years,” DeVries said. “I have loved getting to know this community and am thankful that I will still be at the library to enjoy all of the patrons and staff.
“The library is constantly striving to offer new and better services for our patrons. I’m excited to see how this will continue in the years to come. I want to thank the staff, board and community for allowing me to have the best job I have ever had.”
Prior to coming to ODL, DeVries served as the preschool and youth director at Martin Reformed Church. After deciding it was time to step down from those roles, she wasn’t sure what her next job would be.
But soon thereafter, she heard from ODL director Andrea Estelle that the library was seeking an assistant director.
“I read the job posting and felt it was the perfect fit for me,” DeVries said. “I was shocked and very excited when I was offered the job to be the assistant director and programming specialist. As I looked back over all the positions I had before coming at the library, I could see how all of those helped to prepare me for this role.”
Estelle said ODL and the Otsego community are fortunate to have had DeVries for the past 10 years.
“Diane’s leadership, warmth, and dedication have touched thousands of patrons’ lives, and her steady presence behind the scenes, supporting staff, ensuring safety and nurturing community connections has shaped the library into what it is today,” Estelle said.
“We celebrate and thank Diane for ten years of imagination, joy and wholehearted service to Otsego. Diane tried to make each year better than the last for her program numbers and last year she had the highest numbers that the library has ever had.”
According to DeVries, the aspect of working at ODL that means the most to her is the opportunity to foster a sense of community.
“Community is built when new parents become friends after spending time together during our Tiny Tot program,” she said. “It is built during our adult programming when people can share ideas, skills, talent and life with each other.
“Community was also built during our Early Literacy Fundraiser each year. Andrea and I spent hours creating a life-size game in our program room. Local businesses sponsored the event, and patrons would get together with their friends to come and enjoy the fun. It has been an incredible amount of work, but it has been so much fun watching the community enjoy these events.”
Themes from the Early Literacy Fundraiser included mini-golf, Candyland, Jumanji, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, Where’s Waldo, Charlotte’s Web and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
DeVries was also in charge or weekly Storytimes and the summer reading program, responsibilities she cherished.
“Working with the children has been a joy,” she said. “Every day they bring a smile to my face when they enter the library and say ‘Hi Miss Diane’ or just a smile from the littlest ones. I have loved singing with them, reading to them and watching them be creative with all of the projects.
“It is so rewarding to see young patrons get excited about books and reading. Summer Reading Program is exhausting, yet so much fun.”
This past summer marked the highest participation numbers for the Summer Reading Program—1,245 children signed up and 852 finished the program.
“The library is super busy in the summer and we could not be more excited to see that,” DeVries said.
DeVries also planned the adult programs at ODL.
“Most of these programs are fun, entertaining, creative and educational,” she said. “Yet the ones that have been the most meaningful to me are the ones where people get to share life with each other.
“The program that stands out most for me is the one we offered for Alzheimer caretakers. By the end of the evening most of us had shed tears because that is a hard journey to be on and it was powerful for people to share with each other. Working with all age levels has made my job fun and meaningful.”
The COVID pandemic, which hit during the middle of DeVries tenure as assistant director/program and outreach director. That, obviously, presented its share of unique challenges.
“The day we shut down, Andrea came up to me and asked if I could do an online Storytime,” DeVries said. “I laughingly responded with ‘no.’”
But it didn’t take long for DeVries to realize the importance of continuing to provide those early childhood literacy opportunities, even when it couldn’t be done in the traditional in-person setting.
So, she did a weekly Storytime, working through the alphabet. Patrons could also drive through the library’s curbside window to get a craft to go that went along with that letter of the alphabet.
“It is not quite as fun reading a book to a camera as it is reading to cute kids, but there were so many people watching these sessions and I know they appreciated them,” DeVries said. “One of our patrons sent me a picture of all of the letter creations they did hanging on a wall.
And while DeVries was ecstatic to get back to in-person programs, looking back she realizes there were some positives to come out of COVID.
“We added wonderful services during this time including the curbside window, Rising Reader Kits, STEAM kits and after-hours pickup lockers, which we still offer,” she said.
In her new role as community liaison and community service manager, DeVries plans to continue her focus on building community.
“Even though I am going to miss doing all of the programs, I will still be involved with the patrons in these new roles,” she said.
Estelle is happy that DeVries will still be around moving forward.
“Diane’s creativity brought everything from big special events and hands-on activities to reindeer visits and foam parties, all while strengthening partnerships that expanded opportunities for local families,” Estelle said. “And she’ll still be here helping to make ODL a great place for the community.
“We would like to extend a whole-hearted thank you to Diane for 10 years of incredible contributions here at the Otsego District Library as our assistant director and programming and outreach specialist.”
