Brodhead library board taps Richland Center director

By Dan Moeller

Correspondent

BRODHEAD – The library has hired its new director. Last Monday the board voted 5-0 to hire Angela Noel for the position.

Noel currently directs Richland Center library, board members said, in announcing their decision last week.

After the meeting, board president Kirsten Novy said she was “ecstatic” about the hiring. Noel’s experience as it relates to the broader community that the library serves impressed the board membership. She is very community oriented, they said. Noel will be paid $42,000 annually.

The district had three very qualified applicants, which were interviewed, and seven applications from people who were qualified for the position, Novy said.

Noel will start in Brodhead in mid- to late- February, Novy said. The library has been without a director since Dec. 23, Nikki Busch’s last day, with assistant and long-time library employee Crystal Maizonet serving in the interim.

Busch served as library director here for 4 years before leaving to take a similar position in Oregon.

Maizonet chaired the meeting Monday. She reported on the number of visits to the library during December 2015 compared to 2014.

There were 3,309 visits last month compared to 3,302 the year before. The number of items checked out dropped by 8.7 percent, however. There were 5,145 items in December, 2014, compared to 4,730 last year. Items placed on hold increased by four last month to 1,364.

Also, there were 22 people at the movie night on Dec. 12 to see Minions, up from 18 for the movie in November. The next movie night is Saturday, Feb. 20. For information on the movie, contact the library at 897-4070.

A free winter craft program will be held at the library at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1. To register, call the library. The event is open to those 15 and older.

Also, the AARP Foundation is offering free tax preparation on Mondays, beginning this month. For information and to make an appointment, call Bill Barwitz at 936-3588 or Joan Flood at 897-3887 or 293-1833.

In another scheduled event, a program on “Later Care and Retirement” is scheduled for today, Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 6 p.m. The event is free, but those interested in attending should register at the library desk. Laurie Ellis-Mcleod of AERIE Preferred Financial Group will conduct the program. Another program on women and retirement that Ellis-Mcloed had planned to offer on Jan. 27 was cancelled because of a lack of interest.

The board also went on record Monday that when programs like that are being offered, local people or firms should have the first chance to hold them before people from outside the community receive the opportunity.