From Meg Spencer (2013-Present):
When I arrived as the new Director of the Siuslaw
Public Library District in November, 2013 I really felt as
though I had come home. I have found an amazing staff
and an outstanding collection, a Board with exciting ideas
about the future of our services and a Friends of the Library
organization committed to advocating for the library. Most
importantly, I have found a community that believes in what
a library can off er. Hundreds of people walk through the
Library’s doors each day, and there is no better indicator of
the success of any organization.
Last year, the Library checked out almost 200,000
items. People used their Kindles, iPads, other tablets, and
Director Meg Spencer
smart phones to access 9,154 eBooks and audiobooks. Staff
answered more than 9,000 reference questions about everything from where to fi nd
books about birds to where to fi nd a meal. Almost 10,000 patrons of all ages attended
cultural and educational programs off ered by the Library, and 35,000 patrons accessed the
internet. Th rough the Library, hundreds of children received free books to begin their own
personal home library. Community members accessed the library space to host meetings
and events of all kinds. Basically, what it all means is this – I really do have the best job in
the world at one of the best libraries in the world. Th ank you for welcoming me, and for
making me part of the Siuslaw Public Library’s next 100 years!
From Steve Skidmore (1997-2013):
What a great adventure it was being
the Director of the Siuslaw Public Library
District for sixteen years!! When I
traveled west in 1997 from West Chicago
to begin this sojourn, I had no idea what to
expect—I had been in the state of Oregon
only once for a brief three-day conference
in Portland a couple of years prior. I knew
no one in the state of Oregon. How lucky
I was to have found this place and this
group of people.
Director Steve Skidmore
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During the years from 1997 to 2013 that I was blessed to serve as its director, the
Library District had a remarkable staff and Board of Directors. I never had been around
a group that was as talented and with a greater commitment to make our Library the
best in the state. We accomplished great things during these years, including a successful
building expansion, and I am fortunate to have been involved with all of you and the
community. Th ank you for the honor.
From Michael Gaston (1978-1997):
My wife Louise and I have fond
memories of our 19 years in Florence.  I
actually met Louise at the Library - she was
a homebound volunteer.  She still jokes that
she “checked out the librarian.”
Th ose two decades were exciting times
for the area.  Florence was just becoming
a retirement community, and the  many
seniors who moved to the area brought their
Former Director Michael Gaston with
wife Louise
broad expertise and high expectations.  Th e
Library District was formed and the new library constructed.  But that was only part of the
picture.  Bay Street morphed from a seedy area of town to a tourist destination, and the
community rallied to build  schools, a hospital, and a performing arts center.
It was both exhilarating and exhausting to be swept along in that wave of public
improvement.  Louise and I will always be grateful to the library program and the
community for the many opportunities we had for civic engagement.
Michael & Louise Gaston
Friends of the Siuslaw Public Library
Even earlier than the 1978 incorporation of the Friends of the Florence Public Library
(FOL), this all-volunteer group worked on projects with the aim of strengthening and
expanding library services to our community.
Major activities include planned events for sales of donated used books, with funds
generated used to support Library needs. Th e FOL has also worked with the Library to
present programs on various topics of public interest. Other activities include making
greeting cards as a fundraiser, and providing a monthly book review program, “Books
and Bags”.
Th e FOL has supported the Library’s attempts to pass bond measures and contributed
generously to the building expansion. A major purpose of the FOL is to pay for Library
needs in areas beyond the Library budget, such as:
• Computers and software, bookshelves, and books
• A motorized cart for disabled patrons
• Financial assistance for paving an adjacent alley
• A lectern, sound system and chairs for the public room
• Payment of interest on a property loan for a lot to expand parking
• Cleaning the carpet in the public room as needed
• Finding of Library activities such as the Summer Reading Program, a table at
the annual Western
Lane
Community
Foundation dinner, and
continuing education
courses for Library staff
• Yearly contributions to the
Book Endowment fund
held by WLCF
None of these activities
or accomplishments would be
possible without the work of
volunteers, who are still needed
for assisting the Library in its
continuing eff orts to provide
services to the community.
Come join us.
6 - Siuslaw Public Library District Celebrating 100 Years | May 6, 2015
Father Reads to Children at the Library