By Meredith Stanton Vaselaar
On April 8, 2019, Marjorie Ferguson began her duties as the new Nobles County Library Director. Two days later, the area was hit with an ice storm that left thousands of households and businesses without electricity.
Welcome to Minnesota!
Ferguson, a native of the Huntington, WV, area, had already been exposed to our lovely Minnesota weather when the county flew her in for an interview in February, on a brisk 15-below-zero day. Viewing the area for the first time, in-between polar vortexes, Ferguson was intrigued rather than deterred.
After graduating with a degree in Political Science from Marshall University in Huntington, WV, Marjorie Ferguson began her library career as a bookmobile librarian; within a few years she became a branch manager, then became the Director at the Lawrence County Public Library in Louisa, KY. After her work in the public library sector, Ferguson worked for fifteen years as the Librarian of the Medical Research Library in King’s Daughters Medical Center, Ashland, KY.
Although Ferguson grew up and worked in and around the tri-state area of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, when she decided to look for a job that would take her back into the public library sector, it did not take long for her to look further from home. She soon found herself looking in Minnesota for a position that suited not just her skill set, but also her desire to work closely with the public.
While her first impression of the area involved the snow and cold of Minnesota, that did not phase Ferguson, who says that growing up near the Appalachian region brought four distinct seasons, including winter (although not quite as cold or snowy). Her first impression of the people of Minnesota was “they were lovely – so friendly.” She knew immediately that, if offered the job, she would happily accept it. The offer was made and accepted, and Ferguson made arrangements to move the 1,000 miles from Kentucky to Minnesota. Moving along with Ferguson were her trio of pets: cats Simone and Tiger Lily, and her dog, Puzzles.
For the past two weeks, Ferguson has been getting to know the staff at the main library in Worthington, as well as the branch in Adrian. “We are all on the same team and we all want what’s best.” She has also spent time touring Nobles County and stopping to see the towns in the area. “I believe in serving leadership,” says Ferguson, which includes getting to know residents throughout the county.
Library Director Marjorie Ferguson is looking forward to meeting the people in the western half of Nobles County. Ferguson is committed to providing the best services to the people of Nobles County and to look to the future in that endeavor. She says, “Everything we do today is to build a better tomorrow.”
The Adrian Branch Library is hosting an Open House on Wednesday, May 1st; 2:00 – 5:00 p.m., so people in the area have the opportunity to meet the new director. This is a GREAT opportunity to get to know the person who will be overseeing Library Service in Nobles County (and also enjoy cookies and treats, courtesy of the library). Please join us in welcoming Marjorie Ferguson to Nobles County and Minnesota!
