Nearly 150 people came out on a rainy Tuesday to meet and welcome new Sulzer Regional Library Director Greta Bever at a tea hosted by the Friends of Sulzer Library.
Bever, who previously was director of the Jefferson Park - Cragin Branch Library, was named director of Sulzer on Oct. 2, replacing Leah Steele who had been, and remains on, medical leave. Steele had held the position since the library first opened in 1985.
The tea was a welcome respite from recent events at Sulzer which found the Friends group in a rather defensive position, trying to stave off the decimation of the library’s adult fiction collection by Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey.
“We’ve had a lot of events here over the years and we hope to be involved in a lot more,” said Rev. George Rice, president of the Friends group. “I have not been able to attend all these events but my job is to keep the Friends group going, raise money for the library and pay the bills. We’re here today to make sure Greta knows that we’re here for her.”
Bever was introduced to the gathered crowd by Charlotte Kim, assistant commissioner. “I’ve known Greta for 16 years and have seen that she has a big heart and a very strong sense of the library’s place in the community,” she said. “Especially after the last couple months we understand how strong a Friends group you have here, and through all of our issues we have never stepped away from our commitment to community service.”
“I’m glad you were all able to make it today through the rain because as you know we’re always open,” said Bever. “I’m open to suggestions from our community about where you’d like to see improvements made in Sulzer and I’d also like to see the Chicago [historical] Collection better utilized.”
“I’m a Missourian by birth and a Chicagoan by choice and I’m glad I found a place to be of use to the library system,” Bever went on. “We have some of the hardest working staff in the system here and some top notch professionals and I’d like to thank you all for making me feel so welcome.”
Unfortunately many of Sulzer’s department heads were unable to attend the function as a staff meeting was scheduled for the same time as the party.
Bever took over for Steele one month after Steele refused a transfer to an undefined position downtown. That refusal apparently cost Steele the director’s job as Dempsey refused to allow her to return to her position at Sulzer Library. “I only ever wanted to be a regional director,” she said at that time. By coincidence, Tuesday was Steele’s birthday.
“Today we’re here to welcome our old and new friends,” said Victoria Khamis, a member of the Friends group who organized the party. “Tomorrow we’ll be back to fighting to keep our library safe.” Khamis pointed out after the function that, despite the claims of Dempsey, the books taken from the Adult Fiction section have not been replaced and that there are large gaps in that section to this day.
Rice also called on Kim to find a suitable replacement at Sulzer for Glen Humphreys, the Chicago Collection archivist who recently took a promotion and moved downtown to the Harold Washington Library.
Printable Version