Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 25, 1994 TAG: 9403290139
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
The library added to its building in Pulaski, opened a branch at Dublin, expanded children's programming to day-care centers, nursery schools and story times in the library, lengthened hours of service, added not only books to its collection but tape-recorded readings and videotapes, and made a start on automating its card catalog.
``Still a long way to go,'' she said, ``and hopefully someone else will carry it on to bigger and better things.''
Zalecki is leaving today to move to Greensboro, N.C., where her husband, Ronald, was offered a position at Volvo GM's corporate headquarters. Rachael DeHaven will be acting library director until a permanent director is chosen by the library board.
The move was not a decision made lightly. It was in Pulaski County that the couple met and married. They will leave behind both friends and family members.
Zalecki said she will also miss the activities offered in the area, from concerts in Jackson Park to exhibits at the Fine Arts Center at the New River Valley and outdoor attractions at Claytor Lake State Park.
``I've gotten spoiled, quite frankly,'' she said. But, she added, ``maybe after 15 years it's time for a change.''
Zalecki, who is from Lynchburg, holds degrees from Randolph-Macon Women's College and Florida State University. She had been working for four years with the Blue Ridge Regional Library in Martinsville when she was hired in late 1978 as director in Pulaski.
Of course, there are still things she would like to have done before moving on that have not yet happened.
She would like to complete the catalog automation so patrons sitting at the computer screens could tell at a glance the status of a book they are looking up, to see if it's available or when it's due back.
There would also be the possibility of networking with other library systems, like the recent consortium linking libraries in Wythe, Carroll and Grayson counties and the city of Galax by computer making all the materials in those libraries available for patrons at any of them.
Library officials have looked at the possibility of joining that consortium. But even without adding titles from other libraries to the Pulaski County computer base, county patrons increased their use of inter-library loans by more than 40 percent in just the past year.
The library has kept its regular card catalog, for people who are computer-shy. But most patrons now look up things on computer.
Zalecki would like to see further expansion at the Pulaski library, either through a new building - the present one has expanded as far as it can - or by putting more materials on CD-ROM accessible by computer so they take up less space.
``The library is becoming cramped again,'' she said, pointing to bookcases reaching almost to the ceiling. ``I think a lot more people are coming back to reading.''
New offerings like books-on-tape are popular, she said, especially with people who drive a lot and have tape players in their vehicles.
``I've gotten addicted to them myself. I've got one running in my car now,'' she said. Of course, she also has a conventional book on her night stand at home.
She is not quite ready to take the next step of books on computer disks.
``I just can't envision myself sitting on a beach with a laptop,'' she said. ``It may be there by the time I'm ready to call it a lifetime ... but they're going to have to be a lot more affordable.''
by CNB