By Karen Haave
For Peotone’s new library director, no job compares to hers. Sarah Ehlers was appointed to the post in July, after Noreen Bormet announced her retirement.
A veteran of library science, she has worked in Frankfort and Mokena, as well as Hinsdale, but Peotone has long had a special appeal for her.
“I have always wanted to come out this way; this area is such a lovely area, and I believed when I read the job description I would be a good fit,” she said. “I’m thrilled I now am here at the Peotone Public Library District. The Peotone and Monee areas are beautiful places, and I believe I can make a difference here.
“I have been wanting to move to this area for years and, now that I get to work out here, I love it even more. It is a dream of mine to move to the country and have my own little homestead. One day I will get there – and this feels one step closer.
“I am loving it here so far! I have wanted to work in a library this size with a community this size for a long time, and I am delighted by the library, the staff, and the community so far. I am learning every day, about the job and the community, and I couldn’t be happier.
“I started job shadowing with the former director, Noreen Bormet, a few days before her retirement at the end of July and attended my first board meeting in the beginning of July,” she added. “My first full week at Peotone Library was the first week in August.
“I have been in libraries for more than 15 years. I would have become a librarian sooner if I had realized it was a real career – the best career, in my opinion.”
Not surprisingly, libraries are, for her, much more than just a collection of books or research materials.
“To me, libraries hold a repository of thousands of years of human creativity and knowledge. Libraries open their doors as one of the last not-for-profit spaces available to the public,” she said.
“I love the library offers a place for quiet reflection or a place of vibrant connection, and that it can operate on so many levels for a community: Education, entertainment, technology access, events, study space, work space, meeting space, and so much more.
“A library space can be a safety net and a sanctuary for a community. Books are tangible imagination and a wonder in and of themselves, but what a library can do and be for a community is inspiring to me in a whole other way. The longer I work in libraries the more I love them.
“Being a library director now, I get to problem-solve and learn new things on the daily, and that is where the real fun is.”
And the hardest part?
“The hardest part so far has been learning the challenges of our library building itself. My first few weeks here we had a plumbing issue that had been ongoing for a while. It is still ongoing, but the board and I are looking forward to solutions.”
In her free time, she enjoys reading, naturally, and if you ask what her favorite book is, she will tell you, “It is a sin to have to pick just one but, if I must, then I have to go with Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. Its eloquence, its character development, its readability, its effortless engagement – it’s a masterpiece.”
Other interests include “knitting and learning to crochet, gardening, playing video games. Drinking excessive amounts of coffee. Listening to podcasts.”
Prior to joining the Peotone Library District, Ehlers worked at Hinsdale Public Library, followed by serving as teen librarian at Frankfort Public Library District for nine years. She then was named the Head of Customer Service at Mokena Community Public Library District, where she worked for almost six years.
Ehlers holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Iowa, with an emphasis on creative writing, philosophy, and classics. She earned her master’s degree in library science from University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.