Sunday’s retirement party for Cindy Harrison, Bainbridge Public Library’s branch manager for the past 17 years, was a testament to the quiet power of her formidable literacy and diplomatic manner. As one of the most influential leaders on Bainbridge Island, Cindy has commanded respect and yielded results in a way that belies her unfailing humility.
BPL’s board president Val Tollefson read letters honoring Cindy’s achievements (for instance, she was awarded the prestigious New York Times Librarian Award last year) from Governor Christine Gregoire and Senator Patty Murray. Mindy Droke, legislative aide to Representative Jay Inslee, read a passage marking her contributions and inserted into the Congressional Record by Inslee.
Mayor Darlene Kordonowy was on hand to read a proclamation designating January 20, 2008 as “Cindy Harrison Day.” Cassia Sing of the Bainbridge Community Foundation announced a new scholarship for aspiring librarians in Cindy’s honor.
The main floor of the library was packed with well-wishers. I spotted Council members Barry Peters and Chris Snow, as well as the Executive Director of Kitsap Regional Library, islander Jill Jean.
Writers like novelist Mary Guterson and children’s book author George Shannon, both BPL board members, were there, along with island playwright Sara Scribner and Island Theatre’s Steve Stolee and Bonnie Wallace.
A visibly moved Harrison attributed her success to the people she’s known and worked with, from library staff, to volunteers, financial supporters and community members, to her ever-supportive husband, David. She spoke of her lifelong passion for books, and the tremendous importance of a reading life.
And she asked everyone in the room to join her in supporting Kitsap Regional Library’s second try at passing a levy lid lift (no date for the next go-round has been set, but for the health and sustainability of the nine KRL branches, there will definitely be another effort).
Other than the two Harrisons, the couple with the widest grins had to be new branch manager Rebecca Judd and her husband, Larry. Rebecca brings lots of experience and irrepressible energy to the library. Larry is a teacher and basketball coach. He’s such an exhuberant guy that if he spends much time at the Bainbridge library (during his off-hours from his new position at the King County Elections Division) he might attract some of those non-library users like my sports-nut husband back to the library!
Best of everything to Cindy and David. We’ll see you around.
And a hearty welcome to Rebecca and Larry.
I took a couple of cell phone shots during the ceremony (didn’t want to lug my camera). Photo at top: KRL’s Martha Bayley (at right) recounts the contributions of the library’s man-behind-the-woman, David Harrison (center), husband of Cindy Harrison(left).
Bottom photo: Cindy accepts the City’s proclamation of “Cindy Harrison Day” from Mayor Kordonowy (far right).
It’s not easy to let go of my Bainbridge library icons. For me, Cindy Harrison is up there with Marian Morrow, the children’s librarian there in the 1970s when I was a prepubescent book sponge, and Bob Robinson, the librarian at Blakely Elementary when I went to school there from 1971-1976.
It’s just another way Bainbridge becomes just a little less recognizable to me with each passing year.