Hillsdale's new library director eager to help
HILLSDALE — After Library Director Jessica Spangler resigned in August, Hillsdale Community Library hired a new library director.
Rebekah Dobski has worked in the library field since 2019.
“I am from a small town in mid-Michigan where the number of cows outnumbered the population,” Dobski said. “I grew up following my mother around the library that she worked at and would learn small things throughout the years.”
After she graduated high school, she attended Lansing Community College and received an associate’s degree in history, before transferring to Michigan State University and receiving a bachelor’s of science in anthropology.
Dobski soon decided anthropology was not the path for her and began pursuing a job in a library.
“After graduating from MSU I began working at the East Lansing Public Library as a circulation assistant,” Dobski said.
She is now in the process of receiving her master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University.
George Allen, Library Board of Trustees president, said the Board considered many different aspects when looking at job candidates.
“Rebekah Dobski comes to us from her previous position as Library Associate at Brandon Township Public Library in Ortonville, Michigan,” said Allen. “The Board took a broad range of considerations into account while interviewing for the Director position, including the candidates’ vision for a community library, budgeting, and management experience, background in the field, and approach to collections development.”
The Board voted unanimously to hire Dobski.
Board Trustee Stephanie Stockford said she is happy with the Board’s decision.
“I believe Rebekah will do a wonderful job in the position of director,
Stockford said. “She has a combination of a passion for library services and a work history that will lend itself well to the continuing mission of providing great services for our community.”
Dobski said she is looking forward to serving the Hillsdale community in her new position. She hopes to spread the word about the many resources the library offers.
“Libraries in many, if not all, communities are a great hub for access to resources all at no cost to them. One of the biggest misunderstandings I see and hear so often from friends and family and even in the media is that libraries nowadays are more than just books,” Dobski said. “But that’s not where it starts and ends!”
In a previous job, Dobski worked the teen program at the library, which Stockford said she hopes will benefit the library and the community.
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“It’s important to me that our library remains a welcoming place for our area’s children, teens, and their families,” Stockford said. “We already have some phenomenal children’s programming and a new infant playgroup, however, to add to that, Rebekah had experience in creating and facilitating successful teen programming at her last library.”
Dobski said that, even though she’s only been working at the library for a short time, she is very impressed.
“The one thing that I know for certain — the staff here is amazing! There is a lot of work that goes into running a library and each and every single person here is essential to making sure it’s a functioning ‘machine,’” Dobski said. “If you haven’t come in to meet them — or get a library card — make sure to come in soon!”
— Elyse Apel is a correspondent for The Hillsdale Daily News. She can be reached by email at ehawkins@hillsdale.edu.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale's new library director eager to help
