This week, Deb French can finally think of resting as this Friday marks her retirement as director of the TOHP Burnham Public Library.
“It’s amazing how fast it’s all gone,” laughed Deb, recalling her nearly 20 years of service at the library. “So fast.”
Retirement plans were triggered last year, as their daughter was set to give birth to a second granddaughter. Deb and her husband, Bill French, owner of Frenchies Garage in Essex who, until 2021, was a longtime member of the Essex Planning Board, realized time was flying by, and it was time to slow down and invest in family.
“She’s been an incredible leader, setting the tone for the library as a friendly, welcoming place for the youngest children in Essex to seniors,” said Jenny Mayer, chair of the Essex Board of Library Trustees.
Mayer added that Deb has been instrumental in crafting programs for all age groups at the library, from creating the popular book group she leads or even making house calls to seniors who can’t leave their homes with the books they’ve requested. She’s also been a leader in connecting the small Essex library to larger regional libraries, taking advantage of technology initiatives or early childhood education programs. Anything to make the library stronger.
Suffice it to say, Deb has certainly given much to lead important growth and changes in the library has role in Essex.
“It’s the community space,” Deb says is the unofficial mission of the library. “When people move to Essex, they go first to the library. I love that. It’s like we’re the information booth for town life.”
That’s true in more ways than lip service. Deb led the effort to organize welcome packages to new residents from the library.
Deb joined the library as a part-timer in 2004, working at the circulation desk. In 2006, she was named Director. She’s seen a lot in nearly 20 years, including two renovations, first in 2012 and again in 2015. The first was an interior renovation, requiring the library team to pack up all the books and store them as new paint and carpets were installed. In 2015, the renovation was more extensive as the entire Town Hall was renovated. The library moved to 245 Western Avenue for 18 months. Deb oversaw all of this. Then, she oversaw putting the whole library back together when it reopened at the newly renovated Town Hall.
When the team returned, it was an opportunity to move the library from an old set up (reference only) to one that offered expanded community programming—from yoga to doggy story hour to music, afternoon teas, workshops and author visits. Local organizations sponsor these offerings and, always, the Friends of the TOHP Burnham Library.
Deb says the Essex Library is small, and that’s the secret to its success.
“We can’t do everything,” Deb says of the library, which is considered modest in size compared to others in the regional library network. “But what we do, we do well.”
Indeed. The Essex Library is small and mighty, supported by youth librarian and Assistant Director April Wanner (who has worked there for 17 years), Caroline Kelly, Rebecca Shea, Lauren James, and volunteers. They cater to children in the community, which is the shine in its success. Think ice cream socials, crafting, and of course, the biggest fundraiser for the library each year isn’t a gala but a Pie Fest, organized by the Friends of the Library.
Wanner, who demurred from applying for Deb’s position, will serve as interim library director as Deb’s replacement is sought.
In the end, the small things give Deb true satisfaction for all the years of service she’s given the town of Essex.
“I’ll get a random email from time to time, or a note of thanks for doing something that we may not have thought was a big deal, and that’s when it hits me,” she said. “It’s all those little things that make it all worthwhile.”
A retirement party for Deb will be held, from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, at Town Hall.
