SLIS alumnus, Corey Friedrich, has been appointed as the new Library Director of the Chippewa River District Library System (CRDL) in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. by the CRDL Board of Directors. Corey becomes the second director of the 5 branch system since becoming a district library system in 1998.

"The CRDL Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Corey Friedrich as Director of the CRDL libraries on June 3. He emerged as the best candidate from a very talented pool of applicants. We are excited to have Corey take on this responsibility and have every confidence that we will continue to see a well-run and innovative system of services and programs for all of our patrons," said Tom Delia, Chair of the CRDL Board of Trustees.

Friedrich started his career at the West Bloomfield Township Public Library as a Circulation Clerk back in 1996. After graduating with his Master's of Library Science from Wayne State in 1997, Friedrich moved to the Chicago area and began working as an adult services librarian at the Indian Trails Public Library in Wheeling. In 2002 he made the move to Mount Pleasant and the Chippewa River District Library System. While here he has been the Access Services Librarian, Branch Supervisor, Collection Development Librarian, Interim Director, and now the Library Director.

"Looking back at my time in the LIS program at Wayne State, what I most appreciate from the education I received there was the practical 'running the library' things I learned and the indoctrination into the idea of balanced collections and patron privacy. These last two concerns I don't see very often among non-degreed staff, but I think they are vital to what we do," said Friedrich.

Friedrich also outlined the top three ideas that have been the most helpful in his time in libraries. These include:
1) To remember that the library doesn't belong to me, it belongs to my patrons.
2) Some of the best ideas about running the library come from other staff members - usually at the lowest levels.
3) Public libraries are as essential to a democracy as the freedom of the press.

Congratulations Corey!