Retiring library director to leave legacy of community service

Retiring Pleasanton library Director Wendy Morlan receives a gift from library board member Sarah Herring at the ribbon cutting that rededicated the library as the HIVE Library last April. Morlan put considerable work into making the transformation happen. (Roger Sims/Linn County Journal)

By Roger Sims, rsims@linncountyjournal.com

PLEASANTON – Friday, Aug. 30, will mark the end of an era for the HIVE Library, formerly the Pleasanton Lincoln Library. Long-time director Wendy Morlan will retire her post following a nearly 15-year tenure at the library, which has moved and expanded under her leadership.

Hired to the director’s post in early 2009, one of the first challenges that Morlan faced was moving the library out of its old home at 904 Main St. to its current home at 752 Main St. in a former farm supply store. In selling the former home and moving to the former store front, the library not only went from 1,400 square feet to about 4,800 square feet, more than tripling its size while saving about $13,000 in the deal.

However, renovating the new building took a considerable amount of work. Morlan along with a team of volunteers mostly comprised of Theresa and Freddy Miller and close relatives, went to work. They ripped up paneling to expose usable drywall. Using materials that were donated and purchased used, the new building began to take shape.

Morlan said that a display case donated by Denise and Lee Umphenour, shelving donated by the Southeast Kansas Library System, a checkout desk found in Arkansas City, and a wool rug donated by Theresa Miller helped finish the look.

The new facility opened in the spring of 2012.

Michele LaForge, left, visited with retiring library director Wendy Morlan on Friday, Aug. 30, during Morlan's daylong retirement reception, (Roger Sims / Linn County Journal)

While the renovation work was visually satisfying, Morlan was tasked with overseeing structural repairs to the building as well. Companies tried to solve roof leaks, and the library paid a foundation repair company $21,000 last November as the budget year was ending to install piers to keep the floor slab from sinking.

Morlan wrote a grant to the AARP to install a $6,000 private video teleconferencing room. The room is equipped with a computer and screen that can be used for things like remote job interviews or meetings or even online consultations with health professionals.                               

Another round of renovation happened earlier this year as the library prepared to adopt its new name: HIVE Library. A new entry was built over the Main Street entrance, a bathroom was renovated to make it ADA accessible, murals were painted on the outside of the building, and the kitchen was remodeled.

During a few years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mound City, Pleasanton, and La Cygne libraries hosted a jam session night once a month. Morlan began the “Music on Main!” Jam session with the help of local musician Morgan Brown more than eight years ago.

However, those music sessions went on hiatus as organizers and musicians became wary of gathering in groups for those activities. The Pleasanton library was closed for 15 weeks as the staff tried to determine the best ways to serve patrons. But after things began to return to normal, the jam sessions returned to the Pleasanton Library while the others never were restarted. The library still has a jam session the first Thursday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m.

In addition, Morlan has tapped into the Kansas Humanities programming and brought poets, authors and musicians to the library as well as connecting with local historians to give talks.

Morlan says the best parts of her tenure with the library has been working with the staff. For example, during the time the library was shuttered because of COVID-19, the staff took it upon themselves to make “porch deliveries” where they would drop books at peoples’ homes.

She said she appreciates the way that library staff interacts with patrons.

“They really work hard to get the books and movies people are really interested in,” Morlan said. If the items are not on the library’s shelves, the staff will work to find the items on interlibrary loan.

As a representative of the library, Morlan has served on the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce as secretary. She has also worked with educators with the Pleasanton school district to help connect the library to local students.

But one of the more gratifying experiences for her has been attending events sponsored by the Kansas Library Association, Friends of Kansas Libraries (where she served as secretary), and the Association of Rural and Small Libraries.