Sue Thomas is retiring in September after sixteen years as the manager of the Cooper Community Branch Library in the village of Oakwood.
“She loves children and she inspires them to love reading,” shared Susan Pieper, Library Director of the Paulding County Carnegie Library system. “We are truly going to miss her service to the Oakwood community.” Sue Thomas, after over sixteen years as Branch Manager for the Cooper Community Branch Library serving the Paulding County village of Oakwood, has chosen to retire. “You just know when it is time,” shared Sue. “And now, with another grandchild coming in late September, that time is now.”
Sue was hired in January 2000 as the first manager of the third branch of the Paulding County Carnegie Library system in Oakwood. Prior to that, Phyllis Bidlack ran an “all-volunteer” library in Oakwood with the support of a group of like-minded residents known as the Oakwood Library Association. In 1999 the group approached the county library director and requested to be a part of the county-wide system. Becoming a branch library would ensure stable funding and access to more materials, computers, different formats and programs for all ages. The new branch library opened in the little white house located across the street from the post office. This had also been the location of the volunteer library.
Volunteers, library team members and local contractors worked hard to paint walls, wall-paper the restroom, install carpet and bring in new used book shelves acquired from a bookstore that had gone out of business in Toledo. During the transformation, Sue was at the helm, deciding where the children’s room would be, where the computers would go, where to house fiction, movies, non-fiction and the genealogy section.
Sue welcomed four new computers in 2001 that were granted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It was not long before the little branch was busting at the seams. The Oakwood Library Association found a new location in Ron Cooper’s furniture store just up the road.
In 2007, the branch library made the move up the street to its new location and opened to a grateful and excited community. With this new facility, Sue and her team were able to plan innovative, engaging and compelling programs for all ages. She was able to expand her fiction and non-fiction collection and add computers. Sue now had access to a large community room with full kitchen. This enabled her to host a variety of events and programs. This third branch of the county system was new and fresh and provided the frame for a 21st century library. And, it rivaled many small town “main libraries”.
Countless number of adults and children have passed through the doors of the branch library, renamed the Cooper Community Branch Library in honor of the family who donated the building. The Oakwood Library Association continues to support the branch by maintaining the building and providing support for programs and special events. As Branch Manager, Sue works closely with the group to provide information about the needs of the branch.
Sue’s impact on the community of Oakwood will be felt for generations to come. Children she had in storytime have grown up to continue to love books and appreciate the importance of a library in a rural community. The library serves as the heart of the community, with most community events taking place within its walls. From the Oakwood Homecoming Days during Labor Day weekend, to the Trick or Treat on Library Street program, to festive Christmas events, Sue and her team has transformed the library into a welcoming gathering spot for families of this small southeast Paulding County community.
When asked what she would do after she retired, Sue exclaimed, “Well, I do have a craft room upstairs that I want to move downstairs, and I have a lot of sewing to catch up on. And of course, there are my grandchildren.” But, Sue continued, “I do have mixed feelings. It is hard to put into words. Although I am looking forward to my retirement, I will miss my friends and patrons whom I have grown to love. Retirement can be bittersweet, with feelings hard to describe.”
Sue and her husband Warren will still be reaching the community and promoting reading via “Sue’s Little Free Library”, the first “Little Free Library” opened in the county. The small collection of books is located on their property. You can visit the site of their project on Facebook by searching for “Sue’s Little Free Library”.
The mother of four, grandmother of six with one on the way, and great-grandma of one, Sue will have her hands and heart full. And it is guaranteed her love for children and books will continue to impact others and change lives.
A reception for Sue will be held on Monday, September 12th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Cooper Community Branch Library in Oakwood. Stop by and wish Sue well in this new chapter of her life.
