Shannon Midyett was named the Director Designate of the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library by unanimous vote at the Library Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 11. She will begin her full duties as director in January 2023. This was announced by Mitch Davis, president of the library board, after the closed session of the board’s regular meeting.
Midyett has worked for the Poplar Bluff Library for nearly 27 years. Over those years, she has worked for three directors in many capacities from page to clerk, as IT specialist and for the past 10 years as assistant director. She started working in high school under DeWayne Beckemier, through the completion of her bachelor’s degree with Jackie Thomas and most recently working toward completion of her master’s degree with Sue Crites Szostak. She is considered an innovator who also understands the services of a changing library adapting to the needs of the citizens it serves.
“Oftentimes, boards or hiring committees have to choose between continuity or innovation in selecting leaders; with Shannon, we have both,” Davis said. “The last decade has seen the library go through major modernization that our leader, director Sue Crites Szostak, has presided over with the help of Shannon as her top lieutenant. On behalf of the board, I want to thank Sue for her service and for leaving the library better than she found it.
“In my view, Sue’s success has been, in large part, her understanding that the library is not an institution in isolation — rather, it is a key pillar in bringing a community together to provide citizens access to information and resources. This view is shared by Shannon, and her hiring not only provides our institution continuity in a time that has seen the library expand itself into a new branch and adding many new services for patrons, it also allows us to continue our efforts to make our library a cutting-edge institution that evolves with society to be the best possible resource for patrons to access and use information. Additionally, Shannon’s leadership in two statewide library organizations provides our library the opportunity for collaboration with expert librarians and gives us credibility in all corners of the state. The board is excited to support her vision to continue the excellent history of progress that the library district has seen.”
John Stanard, a library trustee for 24 years and chairman of the personnel committee which considered applicants, recommended that Midyett be hired. He praised the board’s choice as “an exceptional opportunity to combine continuity of management with outstanding expertise.”
Stanard, who was a trustee when Midyett first was hired in 1995, said he has “watched Shannon mature from a part-time teenaged library assistant into an extremely competent library executive who is known statewide for her many library talents.”
“It’s not often that an institution, in either the private or public sector, has a number two manager who can step into the top management position with the credentials Shannon has accumulated in her nearly 27 years at our library,” Stanard said. “We are so fortunate to be able to tap a person of her caliber and experience to lead the library into its exciting future.”
Kathern Harris, a board member and former neighbor said, “It is exciting to be a part of a hiring process that values stellar job qualifications and success working with varied groups.” Ms. Harris has been a member of the Board of Trustees for nine years and has known Shannon for over 25 years.
Szostak, the current director,will work with Midyett over the next year ensuring that there will be a smooth transition between directors. Szostak stated that she believes Midyett is the perfect person for the position.
“I have been witness to her growth as a librarian, understanding the legal, human resource and financial duties of a director as well as her ability to work with staff and patrons every day,” Szostak said. “She is one to be admired, respected and emulated.”
Midyett applied for the directorship when the board began seeking candidates in January, and upon accepting the position she addressed the Board of Trustees, saying, “I am honored and humbled to be entrusted with leading the library into its next chapter. This library has been recognized as a top-performing library around the state since its beginnings in 1916. It is my top priority to maintain this long-standing tradition, to preserve our rich history, and to evolve and adapt as needed to remain of use and service to our patrons and community.”
Midyett is looking forward to two big projects on the library’s horizon, drafting a master plan with an architect for remodeling and starting strategic planning for where the library will go in the future.
“So that’s what I’m most excited about, is to learn more about what people would like to see from their library,” she said.
As director designate, Midyett’s salary is $71,000. It will increase to $75,000 as director. This information is on public records.
Midyett is a Poplar Bluff native and graduate of Poplar Bluff High School. She received her bachelor’s degree from William Woods and will complete her master’s in library science from the University of Missouri-Columbia in December. During her time at Poplar Bluff Municipal Library, she has served as an at-large representative and secretary of the Missouri Library Association, serving all public and academic libraries in Missouri. She is also Chair of the Missouri Evergreen Consortium, which includes 55 member libraries with over four million items and serving over 700,000 Missouri library patrons.
“I have a lifelong love for, passion of, and commitment to this library,” Midyett said of her time on staff. “It started at 16 and it’s just been a passion project. It’s a job about service to the community, it’s a helping profession, and that just speaks to who I am. It’s so rewarding in that way for me... You feel like you make an impact every day when you come to work.”
For more information, contact Davis at davis@poplarbluff.org.