Taggert to take new position at Rodman Public Library
COSHOCTON – After more than eight and a half years as Coshocton Public Library’s director, Eric Taggert will be moving on to take the position as director of Rodman Public Library in Alliance.
“It wasn’t a particular desire to leave,” said Taggert. “But it was a great opportunity. It was an opportunity for my family and I and that’s really who I work for. We’re sad to leave because we’ve developed a lot of relationships here and grown to love this place in a lot of ways. We identify with this town. We consider this our town and it’s hard to lose that identity. The thing we keep thinking about is it feels like it’s a long way away, but it’s only an hour and 20 minutes away. But it’s still hard to leave this place and the people you love.”
Taggert’s official last day will be Friday, Feb. 9. Although it will be hard to leave Coshocton, Taggert is looking forward to new opportunities at Rodman Library, which has a room dedicated to children’s programs and an auditorium.
“It’s a community that really values the library,” said Taggert. “Their levy passed at 84 percent. The community really loves the library and the staff is great to work with. People matter a lot to me.”
Taggert said he has seen a lot of changes to the library since his first day, which was June 1, 2009.
“I’ve seen a lot of positive changes at the library since I’ve been here,” said Taggert. “I felt like when I came here, the library was in good shape. Ann Miller did a good job of budgeting and because of that we were able to survive the recession and state cuts.”
Other positive changes at the library Taggert mentioned were the purchase of a new bookmobile, the passage of the library levy, and attendance at both adult and children’s programing has increased.
“I trust the staff to make good choices and do the things they are passionate about,” said Taggert. “When you let the staff do that, the community feels that enthusiasm, which ultimately benefits the community. I feel like I have a very talented staff here.”
Not only will Taggert be missed at the library, but also at the Coshocton Presbyterian Church and Coshocton Rotary, two organizations that he was heavily involved with.
“I feel like I’ve chosen a couple of things that I feel very passionate about and I try to be very involved in those things,” said Taggert.
Taggert hopes that Alliance will offer more opportunities for him and his family, his wife Laura, 8-year-old son, Liam, 5-year-old daughter Sylvie, and 3-year-old son, Theo.
“Coshocton will always be a part of us and close to our hearts,” said Eric. “I think this town has a lot of potential. What makes Coshocton so unique is that so many people care about this place and want to see it succeed. There’s a lot of reason for optimism because so many people care.”
When asked what he will miss most about Coshocton, Eric said without hesitation, the people.
“So many people have shown us love,” he said. “A lot of people tell me they’re going to miss us and everything we’ve done in the community. I feel like we have benefited far more from this community than they have benefited from us. There’s a good chance we’ll develop those relationships in Alliance or else we wouldn’t leave here.”
Although we live in a digital, high-paced world, Eric believes that libraries are still viable in today’s society.
“When people think about libraries, they think about books, but that’s not true,” he said. “It’s just the format we’ve always used. I think books will always matter even though people are using digital resources. The library is not just about books, but it’s about information and getting involved in a story in whatever format that story comes out whether it’s books or digital, it’s always going to matter to people.”
Eric knows that he is leaving the Coshocton Public Library in good hands.
“Jennifer (Austin) is going to do a great job,” he said. “I know she is going to continue to run the library in a responsible way, budget wisely, and continue to bring the library forward. The library is set up to succeed now with the passage of the levy. Jennifer is going to have the opportunity to add services and hours of operations, which is something we’ve wanted to do for a while. I hope she loves her new job and I think she will. It made me happy that the board decided to go with Jennifer. I know she will continue to work toward the goals that have already been set. I know she will go a great job.”
Category: People & Places
