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Lynda Poyser is at home
in the library
said. “But I learned fast and took a diploma course while I was here as one of the regular librarians.” The Southern Ontario Library Services (SOLS) provided training programs for rural and small-town librarians.The courses cove- redmanagement of a library collection, both books and other sourcematerials, financial planning for a library, including fundraising, and how to publicize and promote the library andmake sure it is an active part of the com- munity. All of it seemed very familiar and very comfortable to Poyser. “I love systems, and I love organization, and I love reading,” she said, smiling. Running a library, according to Poyser, is just like running a business. In the case of a library, its business is to provide people not just with good books to read but with a variety of other services that most folks may not think of when they hear the words “public library”. The library was a bit “smaller” when Poy- ser joined the staff, having a collection of about 10,000 books for loaning out along with a few other items. Now the library’s collection numbers more than 17,000 books, both fiction and non-fiction, along with DVDs, CDs, and a growing assortment of e- books for patrons with e-readers and tablets. Also the library has become a second home for many patrons who come to sit for a quiet read, make use of the public Internet access, or take part in one of the many community programs, like genealogy research, now offe- red through the facility. “It’s a pleasure to work here,” said Poyser. “I enjoy the variety andmeeting with people, and we have an excellent staff with lots of creative ideas. The challenge for a library is to be diverse enough to appeal to people who don’t readmuch or have other interests. It’s trying to hit that happy medium, and keep up with the desires of all the community.” At 69, Poyser looks forward to full retire- ment now. It means more time, for example, for the weekly card games she enjoys with friends, choir practice with the Acquire cho- ral group, and travel. She’s hoping to go on a family tour of the United Kingdom with her daughters, some day in the near future. Andmaybe spend a bit more unofficial time at the library. “I like to read biographies, and I like to read true crime.” She smiled. “I hope to be able to read more once I’ve retired.”
Lynda Poyser, bibliothécaire en chef, expose un livre de l’un de ses auteurs préférés, une collection de livres, de CD, de DVD et d’autres ressources qu’elle a aidé à gérer et développer à la Bibliothèque publique du canton de Champlain, pendant ses 18 années au sein du personnel de la bibliothèque. Elle prendra sa retraite au printemps et espère avoir plus de temps pour voyager et lire. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
room, while the vault door has pride of place on the premises as an exhibit item. Even though her childhood was spent in Pointe-Claire, an island suburb of Montréal, Poyser was a frequent visitor to Vankleek Hill, making road trips across the Ottawa River to visit with family and friends in the village and surrounding area. Small town girl “I’ve always liked small towns,” Poyser said, smiling. “I’ve always felt drawn to them.” In the end, the call of Vankleek Hill pro- ved too strong for Poyser to resist. She spent three years at Concordia University, working towards a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and for awhile also worked at the university as an administrative assistant for the audio- visual arts department. Then she found herself in Vankleek Hill, married, and part of the village’s farming community. She and her husbandmanaged
the Rob-Lyn Farm, a pig farm located off of Highway 417 close to where the Herb’s Service Station was located. After 11 years as a pig farmer, Poyser found herself switching gears, working part-time at Quest Feed, which specialized in making and providing flavoured animal feed. “To encourage them (livestock) to eat,” Poyser explained, with a grin. Her other part-time jobwas atTheCompu- ter Store in Vankleek Hill. That later became her second business venturewhen she bought out the operation, in themid-1990s, after the original owner took on a posting with one of the regional school boards. Poyser was the face ofThe Computer Store for several years, and she found the experience very handy when she later became part of the township’s public library setup in October 2001. At the library “I beganmy library career here but I knew nothing about it (library science) then,” she
After almost two decades, Lynda Poyser will leave her “safe job” as head librarian for the Champlain Township Public Library. However, her bank manager grandfather may still be there, in spirit, to keep an eye on things. As a young girl, Poyser never imagined that she’d be a librarian, but it proved an excellent fit for her and another way for a girl fromPointe-Claire, Québec, to reconnect with her true “home town” of Vankleek Hill. “My dad grew up in Vankleek Hill,” Poyser explained, “and my grandfather was the bankmanager for the original Bank of Nova Scotia here.” The building where her grandfather kept “banker’s hours” is now the home for the public library.The space where the original vault was is now used for the library’s teen
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