Charlie’s last day on the job will be Saturday, October 31.

Charlie started in August 2001, just weeks before the Grand Opening of the new Fairfield Branch. Over the years, Charlie has provided outstanding care of the building, built solid relationships with staff and the community, and supported ongoing efforts to renovate and improve the Fairfield Lane Library. And as Rob says, “Even though the Fairfield Branch was Charlie’s primary responsibility, he didn’t hesitate to respond when the other facilities needed his help. Charlie is that one-of-kind-employee. Charlie will be very hard to replace.”

He is the glue that holds us together. He has been in the current Fairfield building since Day 1 and it will not be the same without him greeting everyone in the morning with a smile. He shares all he knows with anyone that wants to learn. Charlie keeps our building looking fantastic and we can honestly say that we have the best bathrooms in town! Which is pretty incredible for a 19-year-old public building.

Charlie does everything, and we mean EVERYTHING! He handles janitorial supplies, fixes faucets, toilets, lights, walls, floors, ceilings, electrical issues, moving shelving, furniture, painting and more. He works with the Fairfield City guys on the inside and outside of the building so nothing is missed or neglected. One day you will find him outside washing the acres of windows on the building and the next day he is on the roof changing out the HVAC filters. Uh-oh, someone pooped all over the bathroom?! Never fear, Charlie is there with the Kaivac!

We needed something to keep DVDs from sliding too far back on the shelf – Charlie made us PVC stops! We needed something to keep patron’s possible germs during the pandemic from reaching staff – Charlie made PVC and vinyl ‘sneeze guards’! Mary C regards him as a certified “Miracle Worker.” When the lights need changed under the drive-thru overhang – Charlie climbs to the top of a ladder and stretches up to change them (we’ll hold the ladder for him even though it freaks us out how high he is)! And when the lights WAAAAAY up on the clock tower needed changed – guess who climbed up the fire department’s extension ladder to do it – yep, Charlie!

The security alarm goes off at 2am, and Charlie is here to meet the police and check everything out. He sets up our Christmas tree every year and always has a fun costume for Halloween. He never forgets anyone’s birthday either. The list goes on and on. He has also caught more birds, bats, squirrels, spiders, millipedes, and moths in our building than Desmond Howard caught passes for University of Michigan football. And he is just as good at demolition as he is at building things. He is our real life MacGyver.

Charlie is compassionate, truly has the biggest heart and someone we can all honestly call a friend. Heidi says, “I think the greatest gift, though, is his ability to make everyone feel welcomed and the way he always makes the mood a little lighter. Something we all desperately need.” When staff have had non-work related crises, he has always been there to help whether that means changing a car battery, rescuing keys locked in a car or quite literally rescuing Linsey when she’s had van issues. We will miss him dearly and want him to know how special it has been to have him as a member of our FFB and Lane family over the years.

Feel free to leave a comment wishing Charlie well!

Lisa Hires (Technical Services) is retiring after 42 years of service to the Lane Libraries. Her last day on the job will be Wednesday, September 30.

Lisa started in Circulation on September 6, 1978 and moved to Technical Services a year later. She has seen the library change considerably in her career, right? We still used this and these.

Lane is losing history with Lisa. She’s a funny storyteller and also someone who remembers trying something we’ve all forgotten didn’t work, or simply why we did something a certain way. That’s been invaluable. I have appreciated Lisa’s tenacity when confronted with a problem. She’s been a terrific troubleshooter through the years and a keen thinker when presented with a confusing situation. She has been consistent. “Lisa, here’s a problem…” BAM…in short time Lisa has a fix. She’s always been mindful of the quality of service we provide patrons. I’ve been through three computer system migrations with her and can’t imagine that process without her participation. I’ve relied on her so much and will miss her professionally and, even more so, personally.

Like all of us, I am happy for Lisa and thank her for her service to Lane. We, and our patrons, have been the better for it for over four decades.

COVID prevents us from the celebration we’d like to have next week, but I am sure Lisa would appreciate your well wishes. The comments section below is open, or you can email her, or, like 1978, send her a card!