For 30 years Paul McCann has helped lead the Dexter District Library as Director. During his time he’s seen it grow and change, but through it all he’s held onto the same beliefs that led him as a kid to seeing it as a second home, as a cornerstone in the community.

Marking this important anniversary, the Sun Times News (STN) connected with McCann to ask him about the past 30 years and what it means to him. He said where he is today started as a kid.

“We had a small branch of the Grand Rapids Public Library near the house where I grew up,” McCann said in answering what led him to a career in the library. “The Ottawa Hills branch was a walkable distance on my own, even when I was in elementary school. This became a great touchstone in my life and I found great enjoyment going there to read, participating in their summer reading programs, checking out LP’s to listen to on my old record player and even occasionally being allowed to run the 16mm film projector for the family movies they showed at the branch library.” 

Making the Library his Profession

He said he became more serious about library work when after high school, “I was hired at the main branch in the periodicals department.” 

“Helping people with their research finding magazine articles, back when everything was either in print, on microfilm and needed the ‘Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature’ to fine articles on specific topics, was fun and interesting,” McCann said looking back. “This also gave me focus to finish my Bachelor’s degree so I could pursue a Master’s degree in Information and Library Science.”

Getting his start at the Grand Rapids Public Library, McCann came to Dexter from the Troy-Miami County Public Library, where he served as the Adult Services Coordinator. Before that, he had a variety of library jobs at the Ann Arbor District Library, in the University of Michigan Library system, and at Eastern Michigan University. 

“I started work at the Dexter District Library on December 5, 1994,” he said. “On my first day of work, former Library Board President, Marty Davis, took me on an outing to the Dexter United Methodist Church building on Fourth Street. This is now the ARF Animal Rehabilitation Facility. Marty told me the Board was going to approve purchase of the building at that night’s Library Board meeting. From the first day, I knew what the primary task would be.”

Changes over the years

STN asked him what some of the big changes he’s seen over the years.

“Certainly, the biggest change has been the facility,” he said. “When I started with the Library, we were on Baker Road, across from the Post Office in the house that is now occupied by Verapose Yoga.” 

The library evolved through the years, he said, to the building they have today on Alpine Street. He said it’s conceivable that the Baker Road building could fit inside the current second floor fiction area, “so that is a major change.” 

Another change he noted was that until 1998, the library used an old school card catalog to find materials in the collection. 

“Joining the Library Network’s computerized shared system was a huge step forward,” he said. “After bar coding the entire collection, the Dexter District Library was able to both share our resources with the other 50 participating libraries, as well as give Dexter residents access to all those collections.” 

At the time, he remembered they went from offering just over 50,000 items locally to being able to offer access to over 1 million items through the shared catalog. He said this has continued to grow and the participating libraries now offer access to over 2.5 million items. 

In addition, he said the delivery service offered through the Library Network is quick and efficient and that speed encouraged more residents to use the catalog. 

“The first full year I was on the job, the Library checked out a mere 21,000 items,” he said. “The Library now routinely checks out over 400,000 items each year to the community. While the potential was always there, it has been very rewarding to see this level of growth in use of this public service.”

Seeing these changes help make the library even more accessible and available to the public, it also reminds McCann of what he loves about the library.

“I love that it is a cornerstone in the community and everyone is welcome to utilize the resources free of charge,” he said. “No matter anyone’s age or economic circumstances, the Library is here to enrich people’s lives. Whether someone is searching for information to make their lives better, using the resources for recreation, attending programs, supplementing their home technology needs, the Library offers something for everyone in the community.”

It takes a Community

In ending our conversation with him, STN asked McCann if there was anything he would like the community to know.

“While this anniversary is certainly a satisfying personal accomplishment, none of the progress the Library has made happened in a vacuum,” he said. “Many people deserve credit for their efforts to develop the Dexter District Library from a quiet little reading room into a modern cornerstone for the community.” 

He cited former Library Board President, Martha (Marty) Davis as a true champion of the Library. She served on the Board for over 40 years, he said, and was instrumental in passing the initial millage for operational support in 1994 and served through the completion of the Alpine Street building. 

He also cited current Trustees Jim LaVoie, Donna Palmer and Barbara Davenport, as well as former Trustees Linda Chapman, Pat Cousins and Rosemary Quigley, who all have provided decades of effort into making the Library what it is today. 

And he said he would be remiss if he did not acknowledge Mary Graulich, their current Circulation Supervisor, who has worked for the Library for 30 years as well. 

“Starting out as a substitute and night time cleaner, she has become an integral part of the services the Library provides,” McCann said. 

He said their first Children’s Librarian, Cathy Jurich, also did a phenomenal job expanding program offerings and developing the youth collections. 

“Her work has been carried on across the Library by our Head of Adult Services, Lisa Ryan, our Technology Librarian, Scott Wright and our great Youth Department staff lead by Ruth Jansen and assisted by Krista Pedersen and Mollie Hall,” he said.

And in the end it all comes back to that main ingredient that makes the library what it is. 

“Most of all, the residents of Dexter have always been supportive of and made great use of the Dexter District Library,” he said. “Community use of the Library continually ranks the Dexter District Library as one of the top libraries, serving similarly sized populations, in the state of Michigan. We couldn’t do anything without the support of the community and we appreciate that embrace.”

Photo: Paul McCann inside the Dexter District Library. Photo by Lonnie Huhman