Tuesday marked the end of an era at the Kalona Public Library.

March 31 was the last day on the job for longtime Director Anne Skaden.

“Anne’s leadership at the Kalona Public Library has been a valuable asset to our community,” library board President Frank Slabaugh said. “Under her leadership, the library has moved into a new building, grown its services in a digital age and worked to strategically meet the needs of our community.

“We have been so fortunate to have her consistent and knowledgeable leadership over the last 25 years.”

Skaden, who holds a master’s degree in library science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said that libraries have always been an important part of her life, even from a young age.

“From the time I was small and my parents showed by example the importance of a library, through all the years of my education,” she said. “That was the reason I choose to get my master’s in library science. It was a good fit for me.”

Skaden began her tenure at the Kalona Public Library in August 1994.

She had worked at other libraries in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa before coming to Kalona.

“To be able to work in a library for over 25 years, work through all the changes and growth, has been an absolute joy,” she said. “Every day is different. I have never been bored working in a library.”

Over the years, the biggest change Skaden has seen is the transition to more technology at the library.

“The most noticeable (change) would be moving from a card catalog in drawers to getting the catalog online,” she said. “It took months to get all of the information into a format that could be on a computer.”

She has also seen a change in the library’s role in the community.

“The next biggest change is the role of libraries emphasis on more programs and more of a community center,” she said.

Skaden said she is proud to have had a hand in one of the library’s significant milestones – getting the new library building built in 2005.

“It took about 10 years to work through all the steps that were involved in getting a new library,” she said. “Everything seemed to come together at the right time – every person that helped contributed their unique talents and the final result is a library the community can be proud of.”

She said the way everyone came together for that project is a reflection of the quality people at the library and throughout the community.

“My good fortune was working with so many high quality people as staff, board members, foundation, friends members and city employees,” she said. “As they say, ‘it takes a village.’”

Skaden’s favorite part of her work, though, has been working with people.

“My favorite part has been the people,” she said. “Helping patrons and working with a committed group of people, whether they are on the board, foundation, friends group or staff.

“The people and all my connections to them is what I’ll miss the most.”

Slabaugh said that Skaden is leaving the library in good hands, with staff members Trevor Sherping and Olivia Kahler taking over as co-directors upon Skaden’s retirement.

“While her leadership will be missed at the library, she has assembled a strong staff team at the library which will continue to provide exceptional library service to our community,” he said.

As for what’s next for Skaden, she hopes to do some traveling.

“Eventually, we plan to travel the national parks and forests of the U.S., and visit our far flung kids, friends and relatives,” she said.