By Eric Valentine
The Hailey Public Library recently added Lee Dabney and Erin Yturri to its staff, filling key positions in the children’s library and collections department, respectively. Dabney is a well-known Hailey resident, active volunteer and has worked for many years at The Community Library in Ketchum. Yturri comes to the Valley from the Meridian Public Library where she was the Collection Development Librarian.
Library Director Lyn Drewien commented, “I feel like we hit the jackpot when these two highly qualified library professionals joined our staff. They are both passionate about libraries and bring fresh ideas to help us better serve our growing and diverse community.”
Dabney has been involved with the Hailey Public Library for over 10 years, first as a youth volunteer in charge of the weekly story time for three years. Later, she served five years on the board of trustees, most recently as president, before stepping down this year. She has worked at The Community Library in Ketchum since 2017, responsible for collection processing, library-related electronic and digital services and the weekly story time. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Vermont, Burlington.
“I just love books, and children’s picture books are my favorite,” Dabney said. “The Hailey Public Library is my neighborhood library. It’s within walking distance to schools, preschools and daycare and it’s where I brought my own kids for story time. This library has a wonderful collection of kids’ books already. I hope to build on what’s here to make the space even more inviting and expand the collections in new ways.”
Yturri comes to the library from the Meridian Public Library where she was the Collection Development Librarian for more than seven years. She has extensive experience selecting all youth and teen print materials, media, video games, kits and special collections. In 2010 she successfully opened the fourth branch of the Ada Community Libraries (ACL) during the recession within a high-needs community and served as branch manager for three years. She also served as the Youth Services Department manager for ACL, leading a team of 15 staff in providing extremely popular programming, services and outreach. Yturri holds a Master’s of Library and Information Science from the University of Washington.
“I hope to bring experience, a positive attitude and an outsider’s perspective to my new position as collections manager,” stated Yturri. “Libraries are one of the last places where the community can freely gather and collections are a fundamental part of that. They’re what the public values—whether it’s books, movies or audiobooks that patrons of all ages find on library shelves or digital resources accessible through our website. I’m inspired to make our collections reflect our patrons’ needs and to make all our materials easily accessible.”