From the Director's Desk

July 26, 2006

Beverly J. Obert, Executive Director

40 years—

That is how long Rolling Prairie Library System has been serving its member libraries. There have been many changes since RPLS began. Here is a little trivia to remind you of what was going on during the infancy of RPLS…

• In 1965, The Sound of Music shattered box office record previously held by Gone With the Wind.
• In 1966, Michel DeBakey implanted the first artificial heart.
• Neil Armstrong had not yet walked on the moon when the System first started. He did not take “One small step for man…one giant leap for mankind” until July 20, 1969.
• Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay to those of you who remember that far back) took the heavyweight boxing title from Sonny Liston on Feb. 25, 1964.
• Finally, the first public demonstration of a computer mouse was in 1968.

Rolling Prairie began with

• A membership of 5 public libraries
• Bookmobile stops were a top service to the libraries
• There were no computers just typewriters, carbon paper, and mimeograph machines.

Today:

• The membership totals 124 members of all types of libraries.
• RPLS Bookmobiles are fond memories
• Every RPLS staff member has a computer on his or her desk, and even the drivers have email.

What does the future hold for libraries and the System? Only time will tell. Libraries and the System have faced many challenges: funding cuts, staff shortages, dealing with the change from print to multimedia formats, and changing from the manual card catalog to online catalogs. Change has become a constant for library staff. Change is the normal operating procedure in today’s busy world.

I do not have a crystal ball, but I know that there will be future challenges to the System. Change is inevitable. However, I am certain as a team we can work through whatever happens and continue to provide services to the citizens of Illinois. After all that is what we are all about.

Rolling Prairie Library System
A Library for Librarians
Helping Libraries Serve Illinois Citizens