Dupont Valley Times • March 28, 2014
Northrop teen job fair invites business advice The Northrop High School PTSA is inviting businesses to share their stories with prospective teen employees. The first Teen Job Fair will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, at the high school, 7001 Coldwater Road. PTSA Co-Presidents Kathie Green and Theresa Distelrath issued the invitation in a link to the March 16 edition of the “Bear Necessities” digital newsletter. “One of the untold stories of the recent economic downturn was its impact on young adults,” Distelrath and Green wrote. “In 2011, the proportion of young people employed in July — the month that the National Bureau of Labor Statistics captures data for teenagers — was at its lowest percentage since data was first collected in 1948. The job search process is more competitive than ever for these young people; and yet, the need to work is greater, as family incomes are strained.” “Recognizing the nature of the job market and the critical need for building employment experience during the teenage years, our PTSA wants to help explore ways to connect young people with employment opportunities,” they continued. “Our hope is to connect young people with representatives from businesses and organizations offering employment, volunteer, internship and job training opportunities to teens.” Business representatives will provide the teens with information about opportunities within their organizations, distribute applications, answer questions and share contact information. Educational workshops are also offered to help teens develop job search skills. Speakers also are needed to teach workshops on topics such as resumes, how to fill out an application, and interview tips. Interested employers may email kathie.green@frontier. com or distelratht@hotmail.com. “This new project continues the work we have done hosting a College and Career Fair for FWCS students for the last three years,” the two wrote.
INfortwayne.com • A5
Library director announces retirement Jeffrey R. Krull, the director of the Allen County Public Library since Krull 1986, has announced that he will retire this September. Martin Seifert, the president of the library board, said a national search will be conducted to recruit a new director to succeed Krull. “Jeff has been an exemplary leader and ambassador, not only for our library, but for all of Fort Wayne,” Seifert said. “His work and vision have led to a vigorously active and fiscally strong library for all the citizens of Allen County.” Krull, a native of North Tonawanda, N.Y., received his master of library science degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1974. He served as a librarian in the Business and Labor Department of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library
from 1974-1976, as director of the library at Ohio University – Chillicothe from 1976-1978, and director of the Mansfield-Richland County (Ohio) Public Library from 1978-1986. He was appointed director of the Allen County Public Library in April 1986. Under Krull, the library’s first computerization project was implemented in 1987, automating the cataloging, acquisitions, and circulation systems, and creating the library’s first online catalog. Circulation of library materials increased from 2,795,355 in 1986 to 10,746,406 in 2013 (including new formats such as ebooks and digitized books from the Genealogy Center and Lincoln collections). Attendance at all library locations increased from 1,982,396 in 1995 to 2,615,890 in 2013. Two new branch libraries, Aboite and Dupont, were built and opened to the public in 1990.
The main library was expanded and renovated, adding 127,000 square feet of space. This brought the total building size to 367,000 square feet, not including a new underground parking facility with a capacity of 105 cars. Eleven of the library’s 13 branches were rebuilt, relocated, expanded, and/or renovated. The library’s Genealogy Center, which houses the Fred J. Reynolds Historical Genealogy Collection, is the second largest genealogical research library in the country, drawing visitors from all 50 states and numerous foreign countries each year. In 2009 the library successfully secured custody of the library materials and photograph collection of the Lincoln Museum, after that institution was closed by the parent company. The library initiated a digitization program to preserve and make available millions of pages of books, documents,
and periodicals, as well as photographs from the library’s local history collection, the Genealogy Center collection, and the Lincoln Financial Foundation collection. The library has introduced many new formats to make text, music, and visual arts available, including DVD, Blue-ray, downloadable audiobooks, downloadable music, streaming video, and ebooks. The library conducted a successful campaign to raise $1.5 million in private contributions through an NEH challenge grant in 1987. This established the first endowment fund of the Allen County Public Library Foundation. When the new expanded and renovated main library opened, the library board honored the director by naming the exhibit gallery on the main floor the Jeffrey R. Krull gallery. In 2001 Krull was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Gov. Frank O’Bannon.