New director sees more technology in library's future

Felicia Murray knew from a young age she wanted to be director of a public library in a rural area.

She didn't want to work in Chicago or New York, even when questioned by fellow students while working on her Library Science Master's Degree at University of Illinois.

She realized her dream the first week of June this year as director of Eldorado Memorial Library. Murray took over the position as Brenda Funkhouser was preparing to retire.

"I just want to continue in the direction Brenda initially set, continue moving into the future and allow opportunities for the library and the community to continue to expand," Murray said.

Libraries traditionally are repositories of books on paper, available to patrons to borrow, read and return. Electronic books are becoming more popular all the time. Rather than taking a book home and being trusted to return it on time, many people are opting to check out books electronically to read on tablet computers or phones for a limited time. There is no need to return them; the book disappears when the time is up.

Eldorado Memorial Library has two e-book databases. One is called Southern Illinois Libraries On the Go that offers electronic and audio books. The other is called E-Read Illinois. There is also an e-magazine database offering titles like "U.S. Weekly," "O," "Good Housekeeping," "Rolling Stone," "Bloomberg Business Week" and "National Geographic Interactive."

The library has also received a grant from the Illinois Library Association and Ronald McDonald House Charities through Eldorado McDonald's to expand the selection of books for teens and create a teen area as well as a children's area.

The library is working with John Baker of Basinger Design Group to utilize a Live and Learn Safety Grant to install a sliding front door, create parking spots for the disabled and install new lighting fixtures.

"We are making it a place for everybody," Murray said.

"We want the library to continue to be seen as an open, friendly place, no matter what age."

Murray knows she has big shoes to fill stepping into the position Funkhouser held from 1977 to 2014. Funkhouser spent 45 years total as a librarian. She now works as a part-time consultant and the library has named the Brenda Funkhouser Study Room in her honor.

Funkhouser and the library board had faith in Murray to fill the position. Few in the area were more qualified. Besides achieving her master's in library science, Murray had worked at the library as a student worker between 2007 and 2009 while attending Southeastern Illinois College, worked at Morris Library while attending Southern Illinois University and worked as assistant director and young adult librarian at Harrisburg District Library from September 2011 to February 2013. It was in 2013 she became assistant librarian in Eldorado Memorial Library.

Murray said she does not know that she will become the fixture Funkhouser has at the library, but indicated it is her goal.