March 18, 2024

Lindstrom takes the reins at library

New director took over in January

The last time the building with blue roof in downtown Newton had a new boss, the digital age had started to change the way we read.

When Nicole Lindstrom took over last month as the director of the Newton Public Library, there are now many ways to experience reading. However, books are still the primary component, and Lindstrom is responsible for overseeing all that goes on under the blue roof from books to digital technology.

Lindstrom took over for Sue Padilla, who retired in early January after about 15 years at the helm and is still learning the many tasks and roles of the director. These tasks include guiding the library through a challenging era of ever-changing technology and morphing view of the role of reading in society.

“I love doing outreach,” Lindstrom said. “I love showing people the power of reading and all the awesome things that a library can be.”

Like many facility directors, Lindstrom needs to be part supervisor, part computer software “expert,” part community member and visionary of how the library should look in the future.

From showing older patrons how to find items in an Internet search to filling in at the circulation desk, Lindstrom’s first month on the job showed here she has to switch gears quickly to meet the needs of the library and Newton-area readers.

After earning her bachelor’s degree at St. Ambrose University in the Davenport, Lindstrom earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She became the public services librarian in Newton in January 2013, helping engage the public in a variety of topics and programs.

“That role really helped me learn about Newton, and what sorts of interests there are,” Lindstrom said. “It also gave me a chance to show the public what we offer besides books.”

Library staff was in the process of interviewing applicants this week for the person who will become the public services librarian, replacing Lindstrom at that spot. Lindstrom will continue to help market the library to the community, and she plans to help fill in at the circulation desk so she remains in touch with the public and any ongoing concerns of topics on peoples’ minds.

Lindstrom helped arrange current-event collections in her public services role, and that practice will be ongoing. Upon the recent deaths of musician David Bowie and actor Alan Rickman, she made sure to locate all of NPL’s works featuring each man with the idea a patron might want to peruse them.

“We try to stay current on events, and present both sides of the issues of the day,” Lindstrom said. “For example, if we’re going to feature a display on changing marijuana laws, we’ll have books or other materials both for and against the changes.”

Her daily routine — a term loosely used, as all sorts of “fix-it” projects come up — usually involves being the first full-time employee to arrive at the library. She sets up the cash drawer for the front desk, checks email and has the closest thing to “quiet time” in the pre-opening hours. After that, meetings and other tasks take her on a whirlwind that often lasts well into the evening hours.

The years ahead offer special challenges in the financial and technological realms for libraries, which are expected to offer both traditional and an ever-expanding array of digital-based services within the constraints of strained government budgets.

“Libraries will always be about books, first and foremost,” Lindstrom said. “One question we constantly ask is ‘What does the community want?’ Some people want to download music (using an app called Fregal), and others like the social aspects, such as book clubs.”

Lindstrom said strong support from the City of Newton, the Newton Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Friends of the Newton Public Library are critical.

Padilla, who took over as director in 2001, said she has confidence Lindstrom will overcome both the everyday and the strategy components of the position.

“Nicole is going to do very well,” Padilla said. “For libraries, readers are the community. The library’s services should reflect who those readers are. Nicole understands that.”

Here’s what Lindstrom has to say about a few of her many goals for the NPL in the years ahead:

• Apply for more and more grants. “There is a lot of money out there for libraries, and some of these are obtained by simply filling out a form.”

• Tablets and scanners: The list of technological upgrades needed in a library the size of NPL is not only daunting, but requires updating almost constantly: “There might be some hardware or programs that turn out to be more popular than others.”

• Digitizing hard-copy archives: “We have a great deal of items from the Newton Daily News archives, along with items from the Maytag Library, that help tell the history of the area.”

• Audiobooks: “This was a really obviously trend when people had CDs or cassettes in their hands, but digital books and podcasts are still really popular, especially with younger readers.”

• Speaking of younger readers, what do they read? “I don’t really like the term ‘young adult’ as a reader category. But it is important to keep an eye on what each age group is reading, and what platforms they’re using.”

• Facilitate some rearranging of shelving and furniture within the library, along with other physical improvements. For example, Lindstrom said, the building has its original carpet from when it opened in 1992.

• Even more community involvement, from concerts to classes and social activities: “I had no idea adult coloring would bring out 45 people, and 15 on the night of the Iowa Caucuses, when it was super cold. This involvement needs to continue to grow.”

• Stabilizing the team at NPL: “We’ve hired about four pages within the past year. We want to establish a strong staff, and keep it together for the long term. I’ve also been asked what I’ll change about how things are run here; I don’t see any really big changes happening and I don’t want any of the staff to feel like there is perpetual change to all of their daily duties.”

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com