Insight

              (Reprinted courtesy of The Chicago Tribune.)
The Chicago Tribune ran a story on June 10
profiling new State Library Director Anne Craig.
Titled “Reluctant bookworm has profession in
blood,” the profile focuses on the unique fact that
Anne comes from a family of librarians. Following
are a few highlights from the story.
The library profession might be genteel, but the
state’s new library director was once vehement
about keeping out of the world of books and
information.
The family hardly needed another professional
bookworm.
“I said I would never be a librarian. You don’t
want to do what your parents do. I said, ‘No
way,’”…
But now, Craig, 43, has taken the helm of the
Illinois State Library…another notable bookmark
in a library family whose own history follows the
card catalog days to the digital age.
Craig’s parents, Robert and Ida Bullen, met on the
library steps of Emory University in Atlanta…Their
combined careers as librarians made for a century
of experience.
In high school and college, Craig earned extra
cash in libraries, but she was determined to forge
her own career path. She inevitably found herself
attracted to what she calls the gentle profession:
”You could always grow intellectually and learn
about differences in beliefs and in interests. That
was encouraged.”
Her brother Andrew Bullen followed suit — or
maybe she followed him into libraries.
Like his sister, Bullen had vowed to keep away
from the Dewey Decimal System and reference
desks, but he says libraries are hardwired into
Bullen DNA.
He also works in Chicago for the Illinois State
Library. So technically, younger sis is his boss.
Making state information available for anyone has
been a hallmark of Craig’s career, Secretary of
State Jesse White said in a statement.
But the costs of technology continue to be one of
the biggest challenges facing libraries, she said.
“If I could wave a magic wand and make one
thing happen, it would be to connect every library
to the Internet,” Craig said…
Hooking up to the Internet is too expensive for
some libraries, she said, particularly in rural areas.
She said she hopes the wireless boom will allow
many sparsely populated areas to become
connected cheaply.
“We have to constantly think about, how are we
relevant in the context of X, no matter what X is,
be it technology, young people, old people. The
answer to that question should be our guiding
light,” she said.
To read the complete article by Tonya Maxwell,
go to www.chicagotribune.com.
July/August
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Chicago Tribune
Profiles Director
Anne Craig
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Chicago Tribune profiles State
Library Director Anne Craig
2005