Wilbarger enjoying retirement after half-century library career

By: 
Tammy Walro

        Curtice resident Jeannine Wilbarger is enjoying a new chapter in her life after retiring as director of the Rossford Public Library on Nov. 30.
        Wilbarger served as director of the Rossford Library for 14 years. She had previously served for 40 years with the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, serving as manager of circulations services until joining the Rossford Library in April 2007.
        The library held a retirement celebration in Wilbarger’s honor on Nov. 21, where staff members and community members stopped in to share their congratulations and commemorate her years of public library service.
        State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) was on hand to present Wilbarger with a commendation on behalf of the Ohio House of Representatives. In addition, Rossford Mayor Neil MacKinnon declared Nov. 21, 2021 “Jeannine Wilbarger Day” in the city.
        Kristine Goldsmith has succeeded Wilbarger as the Rossford Library’s new director.
        While she has no definite plans, at the moment, for her retirement, Wilbarger said that she and her husband, Phil, plan to do a little bit of traveling.
        “So far, I have been kind of lazing around,” Wilbarger said. “I just looked through a list of books I haven’t read, and I plan to order them from the library.”
        Wilbarger said she will miss the library tremendously. “It was really time for me to go,” she said. “It was a wonderful place to work – for many reasons – especially the staff and the customers. I had the benefit of being a manager, so I got to have a lot of input.
        “And I really enjoyed when people would come in and ask for things, and I could help find the materials they needed,” she added. “Other people truly just came in to have some socialization – just see other people, which truly helps those who may not have a lot of other contact.
        “Some would come in to chat – and I’m a pretty good chatter,” she said.
        Wilbarger said that another thing libraries do really well – at least prior to COVID – was having story times. “Story times give really young kids the opportunity to listen to people read books to them and play some games,” she said. “It’s just a really valuable learning tool.
        “To me, the library has always been really great place,” she said. “I’ve never regretted working at the library – ever.”
 
 

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