||| FROM PHIL HEIKKINEN, SOON TO BE FORMER ORCAS LIBRARY DIRECTOR |||


I’m pleased to share that I am retiring as Director of the Orcas Island Public Library as of September 30. It’s been my favorite of five jobs in the profession (minus a few moments here and there!), almost exactly half of them here on Orcas. I will have served for 17 years plus 17 days on my last day as Director.

My retirement is actually a gradual process, in that I will be continuing on as a part-time consultant through the end of the year to help move the Library through this transition period, and to finish a few pesky items on my to-do list.

I won’t enumerate all of my years here; however, just to highlight one project, it’s difficult for me to imagine how we got by without the building expansion that we completed in 2017, more than doubling our indoor public space.

The past 18 or so pandemic months have not been quite as fun; however, the Library does hope to restore more if not all of our previous number open hours if/when possible sometime during October. And we keep working on making our outdoor spaces more inviting and useful, as many of us continue to spend more of our time outside.

I don’t plan on a major event in celebration. However, I do want to thank the staff, volunteers, trustees, friends of the library, and community members for your ongoing support and interesting conversations. Thank you! I’ll be around, so perhaps we will cross paths before too long.


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