New Norwood Library Director Barbara A. Jordan Cites Changes in Profession-July 31, 1968

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“The librarian profession is changing. There was a time when any genteel person could be appointed librarian in a small community library,” says Miss Barbara A. Jordan, who assumed her duties on Monday as the new director of the Morrill Memorial Library.

Now, a librarian needs experience, training, vision, an understanding of modern technology, and a sense of the community, she emphasized. Miss Barbara A. Jordan, a native of Norwood with thirty-five years of extensive experience in the library field, expressed initial astonishment at her appointment. I applied for the position when I read that there was one open, she said. But, I was very surprised and excited when I learned that I was chosen; I thought they would choose someone much younger.

A graduate of Wheaton College and the Simmons College School of Library Science, Miss Barbara A. Jordan previously served as head of the readers’ advisory service in the two-million-volume Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before returning home. Her impressive career also includes serving as the director of the Plymouth Public Library and the James Pendergast Free Library in Jamestown, New York, in addition to twelve years spent as a town librarian. Her appointment in June followed the resignation last spring of former director Charles Joyce and his staff amid a controversy involving the library trustees’ alleged interference in management.

Stepping into her new role, Miss Barbara A. Jordan noted that the library is currently suffering from a shortage of two staff members. I am hoping that two positions will be filled by the fall, she said. The staff has really been wonderful in helping me. Because we are so short-staffed, many of them are doing double workloads. She added that until the new staff members are hired, she will hold off on launching new programs, stating that she wants everyone on the staff to be included in making decisions.

Comparing her past environments to her hometown institution, she noted a great difference between working in a massive urban facility like the Carnegie Library and the Morrill Memorial Library. Here, I have much more personal contact with the community, she explained, though she observed that large libraries can afford to be more specialized than small ones. Returning to her roots proved to be an emotional experience. Miss Barbara A. Jordan admitted she felt both happy and sad to be back in Norwood, reflecting, So many of my friends have former[ly] moved away or passed on. All in all, she remains genuinely glad to be back in her hometown, looking forward to helping continue a good library system in Norwood.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger