2009 Eureka! Leadership Institute: Kristine Tardiff

I manage the largest library in the 15-library county library system in central California, right smack between Los Angeles and San Francisco, along the beautiful shores of the Pacific Ocean. There are hundreds of wineries in the county so we are a popular tourist area. We also are home to California Polytechnic University.

I supervise 16 people – 6 librarians and 10 administrative assistants. We have a very active children’s department with a very popular summer reading program and year round programs. We also have been working on increasing our programs with adults, collaborating with Cal Poly for lecture series, music programs and film series. I actually wear two hats – one as Library Manager of the San Luis Obispo Library but also as a member of the Library’s administrative team, assisting the Library Director with county wide projects, policies, and decision making. It keeps me busy.

I have a varied background; I started my career in the public library, worked 5 years as a college librarian and manager, returned to the public library in management, served as Youth Services Specialist for the Library of Michigan, did a two-year stint as a Teacher Librarian in the public schools and somewhere in there, chucked it all to pursue a lifelong dream to earn my Ph.D. (which I’m still working on…just not full time like I did for two years). My career goal is to be a public library director so what I hope to get out of the Eureka Leadership Institute is knowledge, wisdom, insight, passion and rejuvenation.

I moved to California from Seattle two years ago with my dog, Sam and cat, Tink, who think they are human and often I agree with them.

Library Manager, San Luis Obispo Library, San Luis Obispo County Library System