[Libs-Or] Jackson County Library Director Retires, Replacement Named

[Meghan O'Flaherty]

Ronnie Lee Budge retired January 31, 2007 after 33 years with the Jackson County Library.  Ronnie began her career as a reference librarian at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. where she worked from 1964 to 1968.  She received her Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Michigan (1964) and her BA from Barnard College, Columbia University (1963).  

She was Library Director of the 15-branch Jackson County Library System for 20 years.  During her tenure the library system moved from a manual checkout system to a homegrown automation system to the Polaris automated circulation system and catalog, from the first fax machine in county government to the JCLS webpage, blogging, and audio downloads. She was also a founding director of the SOLIS consortium (Josephine County Library, Rogue Community College, and Jackson County Library). Soroptimist International of Medford named her “Woman of Distinction” in 1998. 

Ronnie’s vision led to the successful passage of a construction bond in 2000 during a double majority election which resulted in a transition from 15 inadequate buildings, to beautiful,
functional buildings individually designed by each community (including a Craftsman style branch in Eagle Point and a Victorian style branch in Jacksonville).  The new 80,000 square foot Medford Central Library consolidated the operations of a headquarters library, outreach programs, technical services, and administration; and is shared in part with Rogue Community College.  It is the first joint use public/academic library to be built in Oregon.

Ronnie was OLA Librarian of the Year, 2004.  She was an active OLA member for many years, serving as the Oregon Chapter Councilor to the American Library Association from 1994 to 1998. She chaired the OLA Committee on Resource Sharing and the task force studying the feasibility of combined school/public libraries.  She also served on the OLA Committee for Library Development and the committee which developed threshold criteria for state aid.

Ronnie was also active in SOLF, the Southern Oregon Library Federation, serving as president of the organization from 1977 to 1979.  She was instrumental in cooperative projects like procurement of AV equipment shared by SOLF members, and contributed to many other regional efforts that strengthened the effectiveness of libraries in southern Oregon.

Ted Stark has been appointed Interim Director of the Jackson County Library effective February 1. Ted joined Jackson County Library Services in 1998.  He moved to the Rogue Valley from Iowa, where he was an automation consultant with the State Library and, before that, an administrator with a regional library system serving ten counties.  Between 1982 and 1991 he served as public library Director in three small Iowa cities:  Decorah, Charles City, and Eldora.  Ted has a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of Iowa. As manager of the Upper Rogue region of the Jackson County Library since 1998, Ted oversees five branch libraries, is coordinator of library staff training, and manager of library information technology.  He helped design and coordinate the construction of new branch buildings in White City, Eagle Point, and Prospect, and is currently involved with the Shady Cove and Butte Falls building projects.