Library director Busch announces retirement

Busch, who is out of the country and could not be reached for comment, has been director for 18 years and is the library district’s eighth leader in its 103-year history, according to Community Relations Director Jeanne Duffey.

Busch, 61, has “shown how libraries can continue to be relevant in the 21st century by embracing the best of the new technology and tackling a changing clientele,” a news release said. She spearheaded the creation of the Ozarks Regional Information Online Network in 1994 and led development of the Library Station and the Library Center, two destination libraries at each side of town.

Most recently, Busch was named the 2008 Springfieldian by Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. In 2007, Missouri State University awarded her an honorary doctorate, and she was a Springfield Business Journal Most Influential Women honoree in 2004.

Duffey said the library district is scheduling public forums and staff meetings for April to gather input on Busch’s replacement. The library’s board of trustees will hire a search firm by June to conduct a national search, Duffey said, and three finalists should be selected by August. More forums and meetings will follow, and the board should hire a new director in September. That person would begin Dec. 1, and Busch will leave Jan. 1, according to Duffey.