Angie Martin-Schwarze

Kendall Young Library Director Angie Martin-Schwarze has always had a love of the library. Next Friday, July 14, she will be stepping down from her position as director. Martin-Schwarze has been the director at Kendall Young Library for the last six years.

As her time at the library comes to an end, Martin-Schwarze reflected on some of her favorite past times at the library. One of her favorite memories was Webster City hosting RAGBRAI in 2012.

“We opened up the meeting room and had snacks and provided Wi-Fi. It was so much fun to be a part of all of that energy in the community preparing for RAGBRAI to come through and then meeting everyone that came through the library,” said Martin-Schwarze. “That was a real highlight for me.”

Being a part of the Hamilton County Fair parade has always been a highlight for Martin-Schwarze.

“We’ve been a part of the Hamilton County Fair parade the last few years, which has been a blast,” Martin-Schwarze said. “Especially last year when some of us pushed book carts. That was a little bit of a dream come true for me.”

Another memorable event for her was the visit of MacKinlay Kantor’s great-grandson to Kendall Young Library.

One of the many things Martin-Schwarze will miss about the library is the people she has worked alongside with everyday for the last six years.

“I’m so grateful for the staff that I’ve gotten to work with,” she said. “They’re just such good people who care about this place and want to provide the best service to the community and get excited about what the library’s mission is. It’s been great to be a part of that.”

According to Martin-Schwarze, the KYL board has known that this would be the likely timeline of her leaving the library since she started.

“It’s sad to leave, but it’s not a surprise to the board or the staff,” said Martin-Schwarze.

During the last six months, Martin-Schwarze has been prepping her successor, Kendall Young Library Assistant Director Ketta Lubberstedt-Arjes, about the duties and responsibilities that come with the director position. Lubberstedt-Arjes will be the interim director at Kendall Young Library when Martin-Schwarze leaves.

“She’s started attending board meetings and she’s involved in different processes,” said Martin-Schwarze. “There’s been lots of time for me to introduce her to some other tasks that she’ll be responsible for.”

“I just think Ketta is an excellent choice for this transition,” said Martin-Schwarze.

Open house

An open house will be held in Martin-Schwarze’s honor on Friday, July 14 at Kendall Young Library from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The open house is open to the public.

“The hardest thing about leaving is the people,” Martin-Schwarze said. “I really love my staff. We have a wonderful church community and my daughter has had a great experience in the Webster City School District. Leaving all of those relationships is hard.”

Martin-Schwarze will be headed to Sequim, Washington, with her husband, Adam, and daughter Claire. Her husband just finished his Ph.D. in statistics at Iowa State University, which he’s been working on for the last six years. Now that he has graduated, Martin-Schwarze explained that it was time to follow her husband’s career path for awhile.

“Pretty much the same six years that I have been working as the director, he’s been working on that degree,” said Martin-Schwarze. “So we knew that when he graduated, that we would go where the job opportunities are for him.”

Her husband will be working at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

“His hope has been to take his statistics degree and apply it to environmental issues and natural resource study, which is what he is interested in,” Martin-Schwarze said. “So I’m really happy that he found a job that does that.”

Martin-Schwarze plans on scouting out the local library in Sequim and volunteering her time there once she and her family are settled.

“It will be a great way to get involved and get to know the community as well as get back to the profession that I love and see what is available,” she said.