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New Chelsea Library director wants to keep positive image alive

Courtesy photo. Lori Coryell, new Chelsea District Library Director.
Courtesy photo. Lori Coryell, new Chelsea District Library Director.

By Jim Pruitt

Lori Coryell could have stayed in Ypsilanti, working for the library there for the next dozen years or so.

But when she heard there was an opening in Chelsea, she quickly put together a resume and now sits in the director’s office eager to keep the strong connection to the community alive and well. Being a librarian is a passion for Coryell who sees the building as a place for people to come together and interact with others and staff.

“I love that whole idea of the library as the agora, the marketplace,” Coryell says. “I love that idea of all these different things kind of happening. Everybody there is interacting. There’s information that’s being processed, goods are being exchanged, whether it’s an idea or some data that is being exchanged.

The library is probably one of the most democratic (lowercase d) institutions in the country, Coryell says.

“You don’t show anything to come in here. You don’t have to show membership, you don’t have to look a certain way or share the same set of ideas that someone else has.

“Think about incredible tradition of democracy that we are continuing, it’s pretty heady stuff,” she says.

Coryell, 52, replaces William Harmer, who left last year for a job in Connecticut. The foundation Harmer laid is one Coryell realizes she is inheriting and will build from there.

That includes seeing the library as a community center – a tool most towns fail to properly use.

The library has been working to showcase itself as the community’s top meeting place and Coryell wants that tradition to continue.

Culture Shock

Leaving the environs of Ypsilanti for Chelsea was a bit of a shock. Both communities have vibrant cultures, but Chelsea is a bit more laid back, she said.

While the Chelsea scene is different from her old haunts, there are still opportunities for diversity here.

“It’s not a hard sell, because people really value this place,” Coryell says. “They appreciate it, support it and even advocate for it. It’s extraordinary.”

The library’s reputation preceded itself and that especially means the staff, who Coryell praises often.

Coryell knew when she interviewed with some of the staff, there was a good team. She just didn’t know how good it was.

“There is such a passion for what they do,” Coryell says.

Coryell says the staff has a pact with the community, to deliver what the community wants.

“Their desire to address the wants and needs is pretty spectacular,” Coryell says.

Path laid out for her

The transition for Coryell has been smooth due to a training matrix developed by Harmer that laid out a course for her to learn about every operation in the library.

Every possible thing she could think of that she should know about is contained in the matrix.

“So I don’t have to sit here and think now what do I need to do,” Coryell says. “The voyage has been charted for me.”

She and Assistant Director Linda Ballard are going through the document together.

“They were so well-prepared when I came in here,” Coryell says.

Amid the training and learning there is a strategic plan that must be created. This will be the document that guides the library from 2017-19. Later in the year, the 2017 budget looms.

Coryell will take her time in putting her imprint on the library since there is so much going on now.

“We are talking about the next programming cycle which is next summer,” Coryell says.

She is hopeful she will have a small role in that. “I would (like to get involved) fairly soon and now that I have my sea legs here, I know how things operate.”

The next step is getting out into the community so she is scheduling meetings with local leaders.

“The timing is great for me because we are going to be working on the strategic plan, Coryell says. “And that’s the time when you really want to amp up those community conversations.  That’s the perfect way for me.”

Hard work

Coryell is motivated to deliver. She understands she has some “big shoes” to fill, but the work ethic shown by the staff, is a driving force for her.

“Everybody here works so hard,” Coryell says. “I am impressed by the women in the circulation area. Their conversations may be ongoing, but the group works hard and accomplishes its goals.”

While the work ethic impresses her, she says, “The bar is pretty high. I feel a real sense of responsibility right out of the gate to deliver. I am excited about that.”

What makes her tick

Coryell is motivated by the ability of a librarian to impact another person’s life for years. A conversation or interaction now can often be remembered decades later,

“It’s the ability to change people’s lives in big ways and small ways,” Coryell says.

She recalled a conversation she had with one of her librarians in Ypsilanti before she left.

“The beautiful thing about this job is you don’t even know the impact you have on people’s lives,” Coryell says relating the talk, “Just this tiny interaction you have with somebody, can (hold sway) years from now; they are still holding on to that moment. It can be the seminal moment of their lives, it’s pretty spectacular, for people of all ages.”

She has heard compelling stories from people about finding a job or a passion through their dealings with a public library.

Even as the society turns tech-happy, Coryell clings to the idea of the library being a place of social and human interaction.

“Which I think is incredibly important,” she says.

The many activities and exhibits and events are part of the interaction, but it’s the personal contact which is probably more important, she says.

Libraries succeed because they are storehouse of stories which can be a great educational tool, Coryell says.

“This place is just filled with stories, from fiction to nonfiction,” Coryell says. “The whole idea of a compelling story and how it can change people is pretty amazing.”

A good fit

Coryell seems to be the logical successor to the legacy of the former director. She impressed the search committee and community with her creative Power Point presentation at her public interview, but she readily admits to having “big shoes” to fill.

She liked her job in Ypsi, Coryell said, and could have stayed there doing that, was content and was not looking for a job, but when she saw this opening and after having dinner at the Common Grill, she put a resume together and sent it to the search firm on a whim.

“I said to the guy, if this wasn’t Chelsea, I wouldn’t be doing this,” Coryell says.

Not that there is a lack of director openings. Libraries across the state are experiencing a generational change and many do not have succession plans in place.

“When this one opened up, I went ‘ahh,’” Coryell says. “It wasn’t the job, it was the place. It has not disappointed me.”

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