Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Ziebell, Hart
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 1/15/2020
Neillsville New Public Library Director (Ziebell – 2020)
Janay Ziebell is the new Neillsville Public Library director. She is excited to meet and interact with community members through her new position. Valorie Brecht/Clark County Press
By Valorie Brecht
Janay Ziebell is looking forward to connecting with community members through her new position. The city of Neillsville’s Library board selected Ziebell as the Neillsville Public Library director. Her first day on the job was Jan. 6.
“I love working with people and having that community collaboration,” Ziebell said.
Ziebell has held a variety of positions throughout her life, all of them dealing with people in some aspect. She worked for the Glenwood City West-CAP, a non-profit dedicated to alleviating property. She served as family living agent for the Juneau County UW-Extension in Mauston. The past six years, she served as high school secretary for the new Lisbon School District. Most recently, she spent about eight weeks subbing as a receptionist at Neillsville Elementary School.
Ziebell possesses a master’s degree in home economics and child and family services from UW-Stout. She grew up in Neillsville and graduated from Neillsville High School. She returned to the area this past year after her husband was hired to teach science at Loyal.
Ziebell said she was excited to collaborate with local individuals, businesses and organizations as library director.
“I hope to bring some cohesiveness to the community, that we can work together with other entities that are already in place,” she said. “Our taxpayers are our customers, so I want to do the best we can at serving that population and the community.”
In addition to working with community partners, other duties of Ziebell’s position will include supervising library staff, scheduling events and organizing materials.
Ziebell is looking forward to interacting with library patrons.
“I love working with families and children, people of all ages and stages, really,” she said.
Ziebell hopes to bring more public awareness to all the resources the library offers. She also hopes to raise awareness and have conversations about literacy and its importance for individuals and families.
Although Ziebell never imagined herself as a library director, she has always loved reading and being a part of book clubs, so her new job seems like a good fit.
“It’s a positive place to work. What a better job than to be around people and around books?” she said.
She also wants to leave a positive impact on the community.
“We might be the first smile and the only smile that some people in the community get in a day, on a daily basis. I want to be that. I hope I can be that,” she said.
Ziebell and her husband, Paul, have four children: two at UW-Eau Claire, one in elementary and one in middle school. She and her family live south of Neillsville.
Ziebell took the position vacated by former library director Cara Hart, who accepted a position as the Black River Falls Public Library Director.
