Columbia Public Library recently underwent a change in management as director Annette Bland stepped down from the role to make way for a new librarian with a substantial history in her field and a strong passion for public service.

Stepping into the role of director is Michelle Sawicki. She explained that her original focus in college was in psychology, though she managed to find a deep interest in libraries along the way.

“While I was in school, in college, I worked in the college library, and after graduating, I really liked libraries,” Bland said. “I ended up working in a library instead of going the psychology route.”

Library work has been the core of her career ever since. She’s worked in several public libraries and a law library. She served as a health sciences liaison and supervisor of the circulation department at the University of Arkansas For Smith.

Sawicki’s career has also involved serving as the adult services manager at Champaign Public Library and reference manager at the St. Louis County library, where she oversaw research services for twenty libraries in addition to other responsibilities.

Speaking on the public service aspect of her career working in libraries she emphasized the variety of services a library is able to provide to its community.

Sawicki noted how libraries provide far more than books nowadays, with other vital resources including internet hotspots and access to computers and research databases.

“I’ve always worked in community service roles,” Bland said. “I feel like libraries are always evolving and changing, and there’s always a lot of needs in any community, and a library can fit those needs and fill those needs. So we are always looking at, what does our community need? How can we evolve with the changing times?”

She further spoke about libraries as a place for community, whether they host events or meetings or simply act as a public place for people to socialize.

As mentioned, Sawicki steps into the roll left open by Bland, who has held the position since 2017.

Bland has some history with Columbia, having lived in the community for 21 years until she got married in 1992. She returned to be closer with her family.

Bland received her Library Technical Assistant Certificate in 1996 and had a background working in numerous positions at Columbia Public Library.

Asked what interested her about working as a librarian, she emphasized how an appreciation for the community is a vital part of the job.

“When you work in a public library, you really need to love the community you serve, and I was lucky to have landed in this one,” Bland said. “I grew up in Columbia and will always consider this my home.”

She also discussed her interest in simply being able to provide for the needs of the many patrons she saw over they years.

“Working in a public library, you never know what the day has in store for you,” Bland said. “We have had patrons that have come in very distraught about finding information for an urgent need or situation they had. Some have needed assistance creating a resume.  Some seek out Columbia history information, and we have had many that seek that special book. When you service on average over 850 patrons each week, you have a variety of needs. It was always nice to make someone’s day better and let them know that they matter.”

Like Sawicki, she noted the importance of libraries being able to adapt and cater to the changing needs of their communities. Bland pointed to some of the improvements she had a hand in during her time at the Columbia library.

“I find myself to be a people pleaser, and I was always trying to come up with ways to serve the community better, offering new platforms, apps or unique items to check out like a ring light, pickleball sets, brain games and more,” Bland said. “I also came up with the idea to get a small shopping cart for those who had difficulties maneuvering through the library selecting books. That came from my grandma who told me that she could no longer go into the Hallmark store – one of her favorite stores – because they didn’t have a cart to use.”

Looking back on her time as director, she expressed her appreciation for the staff she worked with over the years for all the work they did to make Columbia Public Library what it is today.

She couldn’t point to any part of the job that was especially difficult or negative for her, even looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic as merely a set of challenges the library was able to overcome.

Bland, too, spoke about the library as a place for community.

“I always thought of the library as a magical place for the community,” Bland said. “It is a great space for everyone and offers so many things. I always wanted the community to feel welcomed and at home, and I hope our facility has done that. People matter, and you want them to feel that.”

Bland further expressed her thanks to the community, the board of trustees, Friends of the Library and the City of Columbia for their support through the years.

Sawicki spoke highly of the library as it exists now. Looking to the future, she said an expansion of some kind is the biggest improvement she’d like to push for down the road.

“I think it’s a fantastic library,” Bland said. “I think it’s got a good amount of users… Hopefully, maybe one day, I can see a need for more space. It’s the same challenge that a lot of libraries have, and my previous library had the same thing. We need quiet study rooms and areas, but we also need an area for people to get together and congregate, play games and be a little louder, too. The library world has changed, and it’s not just the ‘shush shush’ library anymore.”