New librarian takes reigns in Hartley

A new face is greeting patrons at the Hartley Public Library.

Karen Schlenger took over the director position in late February. A northwest Iowa native, she and her husband, Tod, have called the City With a Heart home for around a year.

So far, Schlenger has enjoyed meeting new people in her new gig. She believes libraries are important assets to the community and was eager to grow in the director's position.

"I think libraries bring the community together," she said. "I love libraries and love to read. I think it's important for any community to have a library, and I think Hartley is extremely lucky to have such a nice one for the size of the town."

Schlenger's neighbor, library board President Jean Johnson, approached her about the job after former director Heather Skoglund resigned. Schlenger previously worked in IT for more than four decades before moving onto other pursuits, and she thought the library would offer an interesting challenge.

"I've kind of been there and done did that with IT," she said. "I wanted to branch out and do other things. There was no moment where I was like, 'I must work at the library.' It just kind of happened."

Schlenger's main focus so far has been learning the nuts and bolts of the job.

"I've been working on learning reporting needs and program planning needs," she explained. "I have a lot to learn. I certainly can do the work, it's just about learning how they want it done."

The library is also updating its flooring this spring, which will be a tall task for staff members.

"That's going to be a big job, because all those books and shelves are going to have to be moved," she said. "That will be a large focus for us immediately."

In their free time, Schlenger and her husband enjoy gardening and fishing. The couple has two grown sons and three grandchildren. She also works as a part-time cashier at Fiesta Foods.

Schlenger encouraged Hartleyites to visit the library and introduce themselves.

"Hartley has very nice people here," she said. "It has been nice getting to know folks."