My name is Renee Croft, and I look forward to meeting you all in August at Stanford, if not sooner during ALA. I'm home today packing and frantically trying to mow a huge lawn that's been rained upon for 40 days and 40 nights . . . Reading your introductions, however, is considerably more fun than the other stuff on my to do list!

By way of further introducing myself, I should tell you that I am the Executive Director of MOLO (Mid-eastern Ohio Library Organization), a multitype library cooperative serving schools, colleges, universities and public libraries in seven counties. MOLO's primary service programs are professional development, continuing education, and technology support. The organization is funded through membership fees and a line item in the State Library of Ohio's budget, which incidentally received an 8.5 percent reduction in the state budget approved this week. I've been in this position for 3 years, and a significant amount of my time (when I'm not revising state budgets or writing grants) is spent representing the MOLO region in the Ohio Library community and serving as an advocate for all types of libraries.

I chair the Ohio Library Council's Library Development Committee, which is charged with updating state standards for public library service, and I am a member of the same organization's Certification Review Panel which considers appeals from librarians who are denied certification, a new voluntary program in the state that was implemented with a considerable amount of controversy. I am also a member of Ohio's Gates Library Coalition and LSTA Advisory Council and have served as a team leader during the past 4 LSTA grant review cycles. A substantial portion of Ohio's LSTA funds have recently been awarded to school library automation projects. I'm also anxious to attend my first meeting as an ASCLA representative of the LAMA/PLA/ASCLA Committee for ALA's Certified Public Library Administrator Program during this annual conference.

Being involved in regional and statewide library development has been a tremendously rewarding professional experience. However, I do have former library lives, all in Ohio. My MLS is from Kent State University. I was a public library director (Holmes County District Public Library) for 7 years and I've also worked in public libraries as an Outreach/Bookmobile Librarian (Newark Public Library System), Reference Librarian (Muskingum County Public Library) and Shelver (Portage County District Library). I've been employed as a Circulation Supervisor and Government Documents Assistant in an academic library (Case Western Reserve University) which is now a parking lot behind Severance Hall, home of the Cleveland Orchestra! Finally, I worked in the slide library of the Cleveland Art Museum as an undergrad at CWRU and was President of the Library Club (scary, huh?) and a Student Assistant at Tuslaw High School. This first experience enabled me to avoid detentions for being late to and talking during study hall . . . I know, I was supposed to say something about reading . . . but I decided to tell the truth!

15 years ago when I graduated from college, I fully intended to get as far away from Ohio as I possibly could. Oregon or Montana both sounded great. And although libraries were a nice place to visit, I never thought I'd actually work there after I didn't need money for school . . . like so many of you, I made some personal decisions and other things just happened that would profoundly influence the direction of my career and personal life.

At the ripe old age of 23 (before I was old enough to "know better"), I bought a 120 acre farm in the midst of the world's largest Amish community two hours from Cleveland, Columbus and/or Pittsburgh and a 20 minute drive to the nearest "town" on dirt roads. The farm's been in my late father's family for 7 generations, and I spent most of my weekends and summers here as a child. I always figured I could sell the place and move on West if it didn't work out. But, I'm still here . . . and I still work with libraries!

Although Lucy, the world's greatest Australian Cattle Dog, and I currently don't own any cattle, we've raised numerous Salers and Scotch Highland cow/calf pairs over the years. Former residents of the farm also include Angora goats and a wide variety of ducks, geese, chickens, pigs and barn cats. Lucy just happens to be easier to kennel with my current travel schedule, so we rent the pastures and cropland to an Amish neighbor.

The farm has some wonderful assets (waterfall near the end of the creek that runs through the property, springhouse, and "sugar shanty" where my father made maple syrup when he was a boy), but none quite compare to the 3-story stone farmhouse built by my great- great- great- great-grandfather, stonemason and German immigrant, in 1849. 6 years ago I finished a major restoration/renovation of the house that included replicating the original mouldings (with the assistance of local Amish craftspersons), installing INDOOR PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL WIRING -- yee-ha! -- and being able to burn wood safely in the 3 original fireplaces . . . still can't wait to leave it all for our week in Stanford during August!

My personal interests include all genres of music (I play the stereo!), especially Rock (I spent some time in Cleveland), Old Time (I live in Appalachia), and the Blues (just because) . . . art history (Italian Renaissance) . . . preserving rare and minor breeds of livestock and plants that are threatened by modern agricultural methods (P.S. I am not Amish) . . . and primitive antiques (because they are beautiful and useful and they look good in the house).

See you soon in libraryland and/or the Bay Area,
Renee

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