In her mad dash to open the library, coordinate a customer service survey, weed the hold shelves and acquire substitutes for two ailing staff members, librarian Darlene Weber lost her orange juice.
She passed it at least a dozen times as some new challenge demanded her immediate attention: the day’s staff chart and work schedule had to be rewritten, the phone rang, the shuttle arrived for pickups and deliveries.
“There it is,” Weber rejoiced, pointing out a half-empty cup of McDonald’s orange juice in the middle of the library. “I knew I set it down somewhere.”
No two mornings are the same for Weber, a librarian with the Sno-Isle Library District for nearly a decade; chaos and laughter are among the few things she can plan for every day. She was promoted four months ago to manager of the Mill Creek Library.
“It gets crazy in here,” she said. “There’s so much going on with the children or the other noisy patrons or the people who need your help locating some item.”
Weber’s love of libraries and learning dates back to her childhood in the Yakima Valley.
She was No. 8 of 11 children born and raised on a farm where amenities like running water and indoor toilets weren’t available.
“My father used to tell us we were lucky, because we weren’t migrants,” Weber said. “It was a tough beginning, but I discovered myself at an early age in books and in the library.
“I was always academically inclined. I like that; I maintained that.”
Weber was the first person in her family to graduate from high school, despite her mother’s repeated requests that she drop out of school.
“She knew I wanted to go to college, and she couldn’t afford to pay for that,” Weber said. “I couldn’t make her understand that because we were so poor I qualified for financial aid and scholarships. It was so hard convincing her to fill out all the forms.”
Weber reflects on her childhood when she catches herself complaining about work or family.
“The saying goes: ‘It sure beats picking potatoes,’” she said. “I’ve been extremely fortunate.
“I think about the people out there who have so little. They’re the reason I’m here; they deserve this library and the services we provide.”
Weber pointed to a framed poster office of two lions feasting on books in a library. She bought the poster at a flea market 25 years ago to keep herself on the right path.
“I had it in my home library and always dreamt that I’d hang it in my office when I became a managing librarian,” she said. “When I got this job I brought my two daughters with me and hung it here in my office. It was very special to have them share with me that dream realized.”
Weber’s passion for libraries is evident in the way she carefully handles each book.
The cadence of her voice quickens — the pitch spikes — as she details her responsibilities in promoting literacy across cultural and economic divides.
“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of collaborating with the schools to get children excited about the library,” Weber said. “I tell the kids we have books that will help them negotiate the terms for their allowances; we have books to help them pick out pets … the younger we get them the better.”
Weber faces unique challenges in Mill Creek; her library is the third busiest in the district, but it’s nowhere near the third largest.
Mill Creek’s library facility is 7,300 square feet, while district standards suggest the facility should be more than 20,000 square feet to adequately serve the city and surrounding community.
“We have all of the demands of a large library,” Weber said. “But we don’t have any meeting space. We don’t have any space for special programs. We need a larger facility.”
While district officials begin the process of identifying properties for a larger library in the Mill Creek area, Weber has taken on the task of selling the idea to community members.
“Libraries are so crucial in our society and culture,” she said. “I love it when I see librarians on TV and in the movies. It’s really amazing how many references there are to libraries … they are tied so closely to our quality of life.”
Colleagues describe Weber as an iron fist in a velvet glove; she’s forceful but gentle in her requests for public support of the library.
“I worry sometimes that people will think I’m crazy, but I’m just very passionate about this service,” she said. “Life’s too short to worry how people perceive me, and I’m a busy lady.”
“My worklife is so hectic that I don’t have time worry about home, and my homelife’s so hectic that I don’t have time to worry about work.”
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