Sue Bartle, the School Library System Director for Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES, has now retired. How do you pay tribute to a person as amazing as the one and only Susan M.
Bartle? When reflecting on Sue’s legacy,
the only word that encapsulates her is “endless.” There are numerous ways in which Sue’s efforts
can be described as endless.
Endless
kindness: I first met Sue
around 2006 when I was a library student at UB.
After a SLAWNY meeting, Sue invited me to go out to dinner with her in
order to get to know me and discuss libraries.
As a younger person entering a new field, it was sometimes difficult to
reach out and form relationships. Sue’s
dinner invitation made me feel as though I belonged in the library field and
that my thoughts and contributions were valuable. This act of kindness is something that has
stuck with me during my entire library career.
However, it’s likely that Sue doesn’t even remember this dinner, as her
whole career has been marked with such acts of kindness. For her, it was always important to lift up
each person she met. Sue sees the value
in everyone, and is genuine in her efforts to establish relationships with
others. Often, these relationships are
sparked by a shared desire to do right by libraries and the students we serve
in schools.
Endless
generosity: It’s impossible to
think about Sue and not reflect on the countless times she has gone well out of
her way for others. When Sue was
visiting a school or hosting an event, she never did anything on a small scale. When I started working at Iroquois Middle School,
I was eager to carry on the tradition of a faculty/staff holiday party called
Book Bistro. Sue volunteered to bring
some supplies for the event. In true Sue
fashion, she arrived with her car stuffed full of goodies: stacks of books for
giveaways, autographed treasures, all sorts of snacks, dozens of beautiful notebooks,
craft supplies, and even a crockpot brimming with her famous cheesy
potatoes! For Sue, the bare minimum was
never enough. She moves mountains in
order to create positive and memorable experiences for others.
Endless
advocacy: Sue sees every interaction as an opportunity to advocate for
libraries and promote excitement for reading.
She speaks passionately about the power of libraries, helping to
strengthen library programs at every turn.
Sue does not shy away from reaching out to those in positions of
power. Last year, Sue discussed the
challenges facing Western New York libraries to the leadership of the New York
Library Association. This year, Sue organized
a regional library advocacy luncheon and invited members of the New York State Assembly. As School Library System Director, Sue’s
programming efforts have been aimed at empowering librarians to be strong
advocates for the profession. Bringing
in notable speakers such as Donalyn Miller has provided librarians with
tangible ways to increase book access for students and start advocacy
conversations with school stakeholders.
Endless
creativity: To say that Sue is an “out of the box” thinker doesn’t begin to
describe her creativity. Sue has a true
gift for seeing potential in everything.
She then maximizes on that potential to serve others. A great example of this is Sue’s vision for the
Book Expo America event. Although Book
Expo is an event geared mainly towards those in the publishing industry, Sue
saw this as an interesting opportunity for librarians in our region. Each year, a group of librarians from Erie 2
BOCES travel to Book Expo and return with 100+ boxes of books for all of the
libraries in the area. Every minute at
Book Expo is an opportunity to gather free swag and make connections with
authors and publishers. There is no
other group at Book Expo that capitalizes on the event quite like the librarians
under Sue’s direction. Her ability to see
Book Expo as an opportunity has brought thousands of dollars’ worth of free
resources back to our region. When
libraries are facing limited budgets, the bounty provided through Sue’s
creativity has helped bolster regional library collections.
Endless
influence: Sue does not take a myopic approach to librarianship. I can’t imagine Sue thinking that something
was “not her job” because she believes that diverse learning experiences are
necessary in dynamic library programs.
Sue’s influence has included bringing a consortium eBook program to area
libraries, organizing Read Across America giveaways for special education
students, and supporting makerspace/STEM initiatives by presenting at the WNY
STEM Conference and assisting with Maker Faire events. Sue has been an integral player in the
efforts made by The Summer Institute for Human Rights and Genocide
Studies. This group has shed light on
injustices worldwide and has challenged students to become change makers. Through Sue’s involvement, the organization
has been able to bring quality speakers, educational strategies, and engaging
literature to groups of educators and students.
It is strange to think of Sue as now being retired. Her impact on libraries and education has
been monumental. Although she will be
missed in the day to day operations of our regional libraries, it is comforting
to know that her work lives on in what we all do. For Sue, it was never about self-promotion or
taking credit. Instead, the legacy of
her career is the ability to lift up others.
She has empowered everyone she has met to continue to do the hard work
that is needed on behalf of our students. I'm excited for her new adventures in retirement, including promotion of authors and books!
