Siverling celebrates 20 years with Cadott Library
Cindy Siverling is a fixture in the Cadott Community Library, and with good reason. Siverling is celebrating her 20th anniversary working at the library.
“Somehow, along the way, you don’t realize it, time flies faster than you think,” said Siverling.
Siverling is a librarian assistant and served as interim director in between library directors.
She says she was a library patron, when she noticed the library was looking for help, so she applied. Siverling did some on-the-job training for the role, as well as participating in some computer classes.
“The library had workshops that we could attend to learn their software, and how to order things and such,” said Siverling.
The variety of the job is something Siverling says appeals to her. Some of the tasks she regularly does, include answering the phone, helping people find materials, processing books to be loaned out, putting things away, and organizing and preparing materials, for pick-up through WISCAT and MORE library systems.
“You’re not just sitting in one spot or standing in one spot all day,” said Siverling.
Siverling says she also “hunts down” materials requested by people, especially if the requested item is older.
She says processing and being exposed to all the different genres is one of her favorite parts of the job.
“It’s very educational,” said Siverling.
Siverling says it is a big plus to her day-to-day life to have easy access to so many learning materials – including those on sports, occupations and cookbooks.
“I love the cookbooks,” said Siverling.
Siverling says she also enjoys getting to know those who come through the library doors.
She says everything is a little slower paced right now, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but says they have kept busy. Siverling says COVID has changed how they do some things at the library, such as making the library by appointment only.
“There’s organizing,” said Siverling. “We clean the library ourselves.”
Over the past 20 years, Siverling says she has seen the library undergo a number of changes. The library went with the MORE system, which Siverling says is computerized software that they use daily, to keep track of materials and share with other libraries through interlibrary loans.
“So, a library doesn’t have to purchase everything,” said Siverling.
She also says she has watched e-books and audio books grow in popularity, and VHS tapes and cassettes fade, in favor of DVDs and CDs.
Siverling says the electronic materials, like audio books, offer additional perks, such as automatically returning to the library on the due date, so patrons don’t have to remember to return the materials.
“I’ve really appreciated having the opportunity to do this for 20 years,” said Siverling.
