Submitted by: Kris Purdy.23@osu.edu
It is impossible to say how much ATI and all of you have meant to my family and I over the past several decades. I came to ATI in the early 1990’s from teaching middle schoolers because of my love of books, libraries, and students. My first boss, Ella Copeland, assured me that “the library only takes on projects that will be fun to work on” (HA!), but I have tried to make those my words to live by. With supervisors like Christen Cardina, Sharon Holderman, and Kathy Yoder, I always had support for new ideas as well as whatever resources were needed for library projects. I would like to thank my library co-workers for the knowledge and experiences they shared with me throughout my employment. From the start the library has been a pleasant, challenging, and encouraging work environment for me.
My husband and I plan to stay in Orrville. Our family is all there, including our six grandchildren, who need us very much! He has been retired for six years, so he is understandably anxious for me to follow in his footsteps. My bucket list is simple. We plan to ride our bikes, hike trails to remote waterfalls, and stick our toes in some sand. I am already planning a few personal projects to work on around the house and within my hometown of Orrville.
So, thanks to all of you! This fall, especially, I will miss our small but vital library, classes of students coming in, the smell of brand-new books, and so much else. Mostly I will miss the friendship and the dedication of all of you.
All the best,
Kris Purdy