Time to Book it: Bainum retires after 30 years at library
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By KEN GARNER
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — For parts of three decades Bobbi Bainum has been the one constant greeting people when they enter the Mount Ayr Public Library or have a question about where a book is located or how to conduct genealogy research or a host of other questions. Now after nearly 30 years and at 78 years young Bainum has decided to book it.
“It’s just time to go home,” she said on April 30, which was her last official day.
So what will Bainum miss most after three decades.
“Just seeing people that I know,” she said. “I just have a lot of friends that I’ve made, people I didn’t know before that were here, in other counties and other states. And it was fun.”
Librarian Mary Kathryn Gepner acknowledged the wide-ranging role Bainum has played over the years in being the backbone of the library doing all the jobs keeping the place running like a well-oiled machine.
“Bobbi has really been the face of the library,” Gepner said.
Bainum has seen nearly all of the transformative technological changes at the library during her time, from the early days of having computers to the advent of the internet, Y2K, , books on tape, books on CDs and E-books or anything with technology you can bet she has seen it. The biggest change though was the usage of computers
“In 1999, we got computers — we automated,” she said. And then we just have gone from there, more and more automation things that we can do. Our (patrons) have wanted more. And now we have E-books. I liked learning about all that because I didn’t know a thing about computers.”
With all of that institutional knowledge, Bainum has made the life of every librarian she has worked with much easier, but it’s not only the library’s inner workings that Bainum brought every day that will be missed. Gepner could not pinpoint what she would miss the most.
“Just about everything,” she said. “I’ll miss her common sense approach to everything.”
But it’s not just the common sense everyday stuff at the library that Gepner and library patrons will miss the most.
“I’ll miss her warmth and her generosity of spirit — her kindness, her compassion,” Gepner said. “And just knowing that she’s always been here. If I needed something I could always, always depend on Bobbi. So, yeah, I’ll just miss everything about her.”
So what is a part of that “everything?”
“She’s very kind and very compassionate and people know that she’s a good shoulder to cry on,” Gepner said. (She’s) also, a person that will uplift their spirits. So, she’s just the most essential person I know of.”
Local historian and Record News contributor Mike Avitt dubbed Bainum as the “silent do-gooder” as she does not seek praise or recognition for the many, many areas of the greater Ringgold County community she is or has been involved in.
Although Bainum said she is ready to get home, she will not be sitting idle as she has several sewing projects already underway, gardening and tending to her three dogs and 10 cats. She also plans to travel and visit family in Oregon, Florida and Missouri, as well providing needed transportation to several of her area friends.
“I have plenty to do,” she said. “But I’ll be back. It’s hard to keep me home.”
One of those days she will be back is for an official reception open to the public in honor of Bainum to be held from 2 to 4 p.m., Thursday, May 14 at the Mount Ayr Public Library.
Bainum offered one piece of advice on her retirement to all in the area.
“When in doubt, go to the library,” she said.
