Library CEO has Ànal meeting before sailing off into sunset

Some familiar faces will be running the Okanagan Regional Library system again this year.

All of last year’s executives have been returned for another term after board elections. The board is made up of politicians from towns and cities throughout the Valley.

Here are the board members: chair — Catherine Lord, Vernon; vice-chair — Karla Kozakevich, Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen; Ànance chair — Bryden Winsby, West Kelowna; personnel chair — Sherry Philpott-Adhikary, Keremeos; policy and planning chair — Karla Kozakevich, Regional District of OkanaganSimilkameen.

New members to the board this year are David Mattes from Oliver, and Pat Cochrane from Coldstream.

Outgoing chief executive ofÀcer Stephanie Hall gave an overview of 2017 accomplishments. These included a major renovation of the downtown Kelowna library, relocation of the Armstrong branch, and refurbishment of the Peachland library after a car plowed into it.

On a personal note, the board thanked Hall for her Àve years of service. Hall has left the library system to pursue a lifelong goal of sailing around the world.

Hall was praised by board members for labour relations accomplishments, her vision and leadership skills, as well as her substantial efforts to make the Okanagan Regional Library a more efÀcient organization.

Hall also oversaw the introduction of the popular Press Reader system, which is an online service that provides public access to digital newspapers and magazines from around the world. Almost 600,000 articles from Press Reader were enjoyed by library patrons last year.

During Hall's time at the top, programming for adults at the library increased 500 per cent, and there was also a 500 per cent increase in Wi-Fi usage across the library system.

Board members welcomed a new director of public services, Christine McPhee, who has replaced Georgia McKay, who has retired after 30 years of service.