*LIBRARY BOARD ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT OF DIRECTOR, METTA LANSDALE* Traverse City, Mich.; (December 29, 2014) The Traverse Area District Library (TADL) Board of Trustees has announced the retirement of Metta T. Lansdale, Jr. after five years of dedicated service as the director of the library system and more than 20 years of combined library service. The library will host a retirement open house in honor of Lansdale on *Sunday, January 4 from 1-3 p.m.* in the McGuire Community Room at the Main Library located at 610 Woodmere Ave. in Traverse City. The community is invited and encouraged to stop by to visit and extend their well wishes. Lansdale, who has served TADL since November 2009, will retire effective December 31, 2014. During her service as Director she oversaw TADL as it increased its lending transactions by 27 percent. In addition she oversaw a successful 2012 transition to RFID technology offering improved materials handling and collection control district wide as well as a redesigned website featuring an integrated TADL catalog search. These service enhancements were creative and sustainable solutions to address revenue challenges, while continuing to improve the high quality of services offered to TADL patrons and the community at large. “Metta's vision, ideas, and leadership were essential to the significant progress TADL has made during her tenure," said Tom Kachadurian, president of the TADL Board of Trustees. Kachadurian remarked on Lansdale’s specific attention to integrating technology with TADL circulation systems and the addition of MeLCat, a statewide sharing resource for patrons. In addition to her service to the library system, Lansdale was also a member of the Traverse City Rotary Club, Leadership Lunch Club, NW Michigan Regional Selection Panel for the Michigan Humanities Council Great Michigan Read as well as serving on the board of the MCLS, the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services, MMLL, the Mid-Michigan Library League and an active member of the Michigan Library Association (MLA) and the Michigan Center for the Book. Lansdale said it has been an honor to serve the Grand Traverse community and she appreciates the support the community has offered TADL through usage and contributions. Prior to joining TADL in 2009, Lansdale served multiple years as director of the Royal Oak Public Library and the Chelsea District Library. She is a graduate of the School of Library Science from the University of Michigan. Kachadurian said Interim Director, Gail Parsons will continue to serve the district library in that capacity. *About the Traverse Area District Library:* The Traverse Area District Library (TADL), is a district library system comprised of six public library facilities funded by a dedicated countywide millage. TADL operates under a Board approved $4.7 million budget providing support for public library services online and in six facilities in addition to operations from the TADL Talking Book Library. Learn more at www.tadl.org/about. -- Kristen R. Talaga Marketing and Communications Manager Traverse Area District Library www.tadl.org <http://www.tadl.org/continueyourjourney> ktalaga@tadl.org P: 231.932.8501 M: 231.883.8064
