Chapter 16. The Library’s Seven Sisters Take Charge until the Advent of Raymond C. Lindquist as Director

When I called Mr. Mumford to express my thanks and regrets and told him my reason, he said, “I understand. I am sure that the Cleveland Public Library will appreciate your loyalty. Remember, Eddie, I’ll only be a phone call away. If you should ever change your mind and decide you wish to join me at Library Congress, call me!” It was at that point in time that I was propelled into what I would later describe as the perpetual motion of library administration.

During the Library Board meeting on August 9, 1954, a special personnel committee was appointed and charged to make a nationwide search for a new director. An Administrative Committee’ had been appointed earlier to administer the Library in the interim. It was composed of seven top level supervisors. They were Emelia Wefel, Head of the Main Library, Jean Roos,Head of the Youth Department, Rose Vormelker, Head of the Business Information Bureau, Fern Long, Head of the Adult Education Department, Adeline Corrigan, Head of the Children’s Department, Helen Lewis, Head of the School Department, and Loraine Slater, Head of the Branch Department.

Emelia Wefel was appointed Chair of the Administrative Committee and Deputy Clerk Treasurer of the Library Board, Jean Roos, CoChair and Rose Vormelker, Secretary. When the committee began functioning on August 16, 1954, Miss Wefel left her office as Head of the Main Library and assumed her duties as the acting titular head of the Cleveland Public Library. She moved into the Director’s office. I became Acting Head of the Main Library. On that day, I knew that I had made the right decision when I decided not to accept Mr. Mumford’s invitation to join him at the Library of Congress. I was now back in the public service part of the library work where I wanted to be and with the responsibility of overseeing the reference and research activities of the twelve subject divisions in the Main Library. I had been tapped to play an important role at home.

On December 15, 1954, Raymond C. Lindquist, who had been the Director of the Cuyahoga County Public Library was appointed Director of the Cleveland Public Library by the Cleveland Library Board, with the provision that he take office on March 1, 1955. On his arrival, Miss Wefel returned to her’ position as Head of the Main Library and the other members of the Administrative Committee returned to their former positions, and of course, I resumed my position as Assistant Head of the Main Library.

The seven members of the Administrative Committee had done a remarkable job. They had become affectionately known among the entire staff as “The Seven Sisters” during that interim period that had covered almost seven months. During those seven months, I had gained invaluable administrative experience and had made the most of every minute even though they had been among the most demanding months of my young career. For those seven months while Miss Wefel had effectively and efficiently borne the administrative leadership role for the entire Library, I had directed the affairs of the Main Library. I had graduated from directing and supervising a non-professional staff of 34 in the Book Repair Division to being responsible for the needs and activities of a staff of about three hundred non-professional and professionals in the city’s Main Library. I had had my first taste of the pleasures, the satisfactions and, yes, even some of the heartache, stress and pain that occur in a leadership role in a large public service agency. I welcomed Miss Wefel back to the Main Library Office with open arms!

On September 21, 1955, the Library Board established the position of Assistant Director and appointed Rose Vormelker to that position as of November 1, 1955. At the same time they re-established the position of Business Manager. That position had ceased to exist when Clarence Metcalf was elevated from that position to the directorship in 1941. Mr. Lindquist was charged to write a job description for the job and to conduct a nationwide search for the most qualified person to fill the job. He was also instructed to consider candidates from within the Library.

I recall reading the job description when it was published and was impressed by how much of the Library’s administrative functions that it covered, and recalled facetiously saying to one of my colleagues, “the person that fills this job is going to have to be a  jack-of-all-trades and chief cook and bottle washer!” The description read as follows:

I can also recall a colleague saying to me, “Ed, are you going to apply for the job?” I laughed, and replied , “Are you kidding, that is no job for me. I wouldn’t stand a chance. The board is going to bring in some big shot from the outside! I like what I am doing now. I am back in public service where I belong.” With that I put the matter out of my mind.

Working with Emelia Wefel as her assistant in the Main Library was challenging and rewarding in so many ways. To begin with, it was professional library work. It brought me in contact with division chiefs who were authorities in their subject fields and interesting people. Serving as back-up for the divisions of the Main Library as they served their clientele brought much satisfaction. It also brought me in contact with so many other interesting people. There were the general readers, the students, serious researchers and scholars who came to us in the Main Library Office when they had special needs or problems that could not be solved in the divisions. There were the fellow professionals in the colleges and the universities that we cooperated with, librarians, college professors, members of other professions, as well as the politicians of the metropolitan area. In one way or another, they beat a path to the Main Library Office door. I was having a great time just being Miss Wefel’s assistant!