SUNDRE — The local library’s new manager brings with her a passion for connecting with the community.
Joy Willihnganz, who started off at the Sundre Municipal Library more than four years ago in a casual role as an assistant before eventually progressing to take on a full-time position as programmer, started her new job as the manager on Sept. 17.
Willihnganz stepped in for outgoing former manager Karen Tubb, who since 2019 had served in that capacity.
“It’s been good,” Willihnganz said on Sept. 29 during an interview at the library.
“There’s always lots of adjustments that happen in transitions,” she said.
“It’s been a little crazy at times, but it will settle into routine,” she said, adding with a laugh, “I love crazy!”
Substantially facilitating the transition process was Tubb, who Willihnganz looks up to as an exemplary role model who sets a good example.
“We had some time to sort of prepare for Karen leaving and to help transition things, which has really helped to make the turnover smoother and allowed us to continue to offer really great library service,” said Willihnganz.
“It’s a steep learning curve, [but] Karen did a great job of sharing her knowledge and wisdom to take over, paving the path and just helping it be a smooth transition. I’m forever grateful to that, and to her leadership.”
Planning to remain in the managerial position for the foreseeable future, Willihnganz said when asked what about the library kindles her passion to come into work, “One of the things that I really love about the library, is the people part of it.”
Further elaborating, she expressed a fondness not only for of course helping patrons find the books or other library materials they’re looking for, but also connecting with people in their personal as well as professional lives, along the way creating lasting growth, change and encouragement to help individuals of all ages and from all walks of life reach their goals, big or small.
“And to be able to feed their interests and passions and see them go on to just find things that interest them and that they love,” she added.
“I love community engagement; that’s my passion. And being at the library just allows me to do that.”
As the former programmer, Willihnganz expressed a level of pride for her involvement in helping to introduce initiatives such as the StoryWalk and Halloween events hosted at the Sundre & District Museum.
“The StoryWalk, I’m really proud of that,” she said, adding it started off last year and that she hopes to continue bringing it back annually. “That – I think – is just a really fun program.”
Many young families with children as well as seniors who enjoy going for a stroll along the asphalt path that runs along Main Avenue West from Sixth Street SW to Rge. Rd. 54 on the edge of town, have said how much they’ve enjoyed being able to read a story while they go for a walk, she told the Albertan.
The Halloween events have also been a lot of fun to be involved with, and this year’s upcoming lineup of activities at the museum includes a growing partnership with the Sundre Royal Purple #191 joining the effort to help deliver “a one-stop shop of Halloween activities for [ages] zero to 100,” she said.
Another project she was pleased to work on was the election brochures that were prepared prior to the last municipal election.
“That was a great way to connect with people,” she said. “We had people who weren’t library members come in and get the information to be able to be better informed citizens when they went to the poll; that was really neat to be able to offer that.”
Asked what objectives or goals she might hope to achieve over the coming years, she expressed a desire to do what she can to help make even better an already amazing community.
“I would like to be able to continue the great projects that we’ve started and build more community engagement and awareness,” she added.
“The library’s done a great job of that. It’s been harder in the pandemic, but we’re seeing more people coming back.”
