A Farewell to Haines
Submitted by Carolyn Goolsby
Share
TweetI‘ve always been awful at good-byes, it’s perhaps my greatest literary and rhetorical failing. But as I prepare to depart Haines for a scholarly life on the tundra, I do want to say, “Thank you.”
Thank you to our Library Board, who are so dedicated to the library and the community and who have never failed to support my leadership and direction. Thank you to the Friends of the Library, who support and work for and uplift the library in any number of ways and who provide Haines with one of the most beautiful Holiday events possible. Thank you to the volunteers who keep our library running, at a level that would be impossible without you. Thank you to my colleagues at the Borough, who serve Haines with unsung commitment and perseverance. Thank you to my Library family – Reba, Aly, Holly, Erik, Will, Lisa, Brandon, Joe, Mae and Wendel – for being the most wonderful and coolest group of outstanding library professionals I’ve worked with, and also for the laughs, solidarity and snacks along the way. Thank you to all the folks who helped pack, load and lift during a time of life transition for me. You’ll never know how much that means.
While I'm excited to begin a new phase of my career with the University of Alaska , I am sad to leave this marvelous place. There’s just something about Haines. It’s special. Haines is a unique alchemy that has as much to do with people as with geography. I’ve worked, collaborated, talked, laughed, cried and engaged in vigorous debate with the most amazing individuals. I’ve received teaching in fields from agriculture to zoology and everything in between, from incredibly gifted, experienced and capable people who live in this small town and share their knowledge readily with anyone who wants to know. I’ve had the honor to work in The Best Small Library in America – in my professional assessment, the Best Damn Library, Anywhere. I’ve had the joy of co-workers who are smart, professional, adaptable, absolutely committed to doing good service, and who still laugh often and well. I have amazing friends who can both lift me up to the heavens and take me down a peg – often at the same time, and sometimes without my even noticing until later. I’ve learned the glorious lesson of the value of every moment in a miraculous place, and the even more Alaskan lesson that individualism and self-reliance work best when they are an active part of a supporting community.
Haines has given me so much. I can only hope that my small offerings have been as impactful and as beneficial as those I have received.
Please take care. I will miss you.
Carolyn Goolsby
