Library director enjoyed his five years

The director of the Red Wing Public Library will leave his position after holding it for five years.

When James Lund first came to Red Wing as the director in 2007, the library had a different look and feel to it. During his time there, he led projects like replacing the roof, rearranging the children’s collection, expanding Internet access, installing a new elevator, and, perhaps the biggest one, combining the desks, said reference staff worker Randy Decker.

Merging the circulation and reference desks “created a seamless team environment with the staff” to more effectively help library patrons, Lund said.

He thinks that the personal touch at Red Wing’s library is very important and that is what makes it more than just a place to check out books. The merged desks create an opportunity for that by not having patrons bounce between desks.

This, Lund accepted the position at the Westminster Seminary California in Escondido, Calif., as the library director, as a professor of theology and as the bookstore manager. His last day as Red Wing Public Library director will be March 16.

After going to school in California to receive his master’s in theology, he decided to pursue a career as a library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduating, he moved back to California to work at the seminary as the library and director and as an assistant professor, only to return to the Midwest four years.

He said if he did not feel so called to this new position, he would want to retire at the Red Wing public Library because he has enjoyed it so much.

“The five years I have had in Red Wing have been the most enjoyable, rewarding and productive,” Lund said.

Tags: red wing, news, minnesota, books, social