CUMBERLAND – In her time at the Cumberland Library, Celeste Dyer has seen the extinction of card catalogs, VHS tapes, and typewriters. She’s also seen the rise of DVDs, computers, and eBooks.
On June 30, Dyer, described as an instrumental influence in some of the pertinent decision-making during the 2000 addition toe the library, will say goodbye to the book aisles she’s called her home away from home since 1993.
Dyer first joined the library as a part-time floating librarian, splitting her time between the reference and children’s departments, in October of that year.
In 1996, she took over reference, and in 1999, she became the assistant library director/technology coordinator. She held that role until 2011 when she became the library’s fourth director.
She helped create the current Teen Center in 2016, and has overseen a number of improvements to library services for all patrons, say staff.
Patrons who see Dyer this month are encouraged to wish her well.
Dyer said she sees a bright future for libraries, and said that notion is proven with the strong numbers coming into the Cumberland Library. They’ve been able to maintain a lot of good programming, both in-person and virtual, and have also done very well with their grant-funded “library of things.”
On an accomplishment she’s most proud of, Dyer says it has to be the library’s teen center and the grants she secured for it.
“Cumberland didn’t have any place for the kids to go,” she said.
She added that the expansion of the young adult study room to be three times as big with TVs, video games, and as a place to hang out was a game-changer to give young people a place to go.
She said the technological advances there have been great for library services, with instant access to the adult and children’s catalogues replacing the inefficient card system where people would lose cards and staff didn’t always know for sure what was available.
Dyer, a Coventry resident, said she’ll still be seen up north. She said she hopes to do some volunteering for a dog rescue, having a rescue pup of her own, and will also travel. She’ll be in Iceland during the Haunted Monastery event celebrating the library’s 50th anniversary in October, but will be here for two other anniversary events, the carnival on June 20 and disco event on Dec. 5. She’ll also stay involved with a monthly book discussion group at the library.
Dyer said she’s really been thinking about retirement since the pandemic. After having surgery in December and being out for six weeks, she realized that down time “isn’t bad.”
She said she’s loved her job, though budget hearings are never fun. The town has always been very supportive with its funding, she said, which had made life easier.
