Marguerite Dube has been a major force driving the Chester County Library over the past twenty years and on April 30th she will be hanging up her hat as Director and will officially start enjoying her retirement. She began her career at the Chester County Library in January, 2001, as the Business/Finance Manager. In that position, she developed her interest in library services and in 2006 was awarded an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant to pursue a Master’s degree in Library Science at Drexel University. In September, 2008, Marguerite was appointed Director of the Chester County Library and its Henrietta Hankin Branch. She has continuously demonstrated her commitment to its mission to provide informational, educational, and cultural services to the residents of Chester County. As Marguerite mentions, “When I was hired in 2001 as the Business/Finance Manager, I never dreamed what lay ahead in my professional future. Working behind the scenes showed me what an incredible amount of work and dedication went into running the library, and that it was essential to the community’s lifelong learning.”

Marguerite enhanced the libraries’ profile in the community by implementing many new services. Notably, she was the driving force behind the Friends’ donations toward the Museum Pass Program, the lending of hotspots, and the “Hold-it” lockers for 24x7 access for patrons to pick up materials they have reserved. Throughout her tenure, she has overseen many physical changes to the buildings, creating a welcoming atmosphere for patrons. One of her major accomplishments is the redesign of the balcony area of the Chester County Library. The newly redesigned balcony houses the new Teen Zone area, the John W. Jacobs Technology Center with its Digital Media Lab, and the spacious and attractive Chester County Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) Adult Tutoring area, which accommodates free adult basic literacy education and life skills programs to individuals learning English as a second language. She has begun planning a redesign of the first-floor of the Chester County Library to add a business space for centralized tutoring as well as adding semi-private meeting spaces, all to meet patron needs.

Community engagement has been a major focus for Marguerite. She has encouraged library staff to be embedded in the community and has forged partnerships with several organizations, including the United Way of Chester County’s Financial Stability Center. In October of 2018, Marguerite was honored by the Chester County OIC, receiving the prestigious Difference of One Award. She was the recipient of the Patricia A. Dobbin Award by the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) in 2019. Under her guidance, Chester County Library was named one of America’s Top-Rated Libraries in 2019, earning the designation of Star Library by the profession’s leading periodical, Library Journal. She serves the community outside the library as Treasurer of the West Whiteland Friends of the Park. Marguerite’s accomplishments and contributions to the library and the communities we serve will be appreciated for years to come. Marguerite says, “I am grateful every day for the opportunity to work in such a noble field, and have worked hard to help our staff provide the community with the best library service possible. It has been my honor to lead this library, which is such a vital and important institution, and one of the finest libraries in the County, if not the State. I have also been working closely with my staff over the last several months to ensure that you will experience seamless service until a new director is selected. I want to thank you for the support you have given the library, especially over the last year when life was so challenging for all of us.”

Marguerite has been an inspiration to everyone under her guidance over the years. Congratulations on a standout career and best wishes for your retirement!