EXCHANGE: Former library director to give writing a try

(AP) — Former DeKalb Public Library Director Dee Coover said that one of the best compliments she received in her 22 years on the job came during one of her final weekly tours of the building before her retirement.

[...] as the tour continued and the couple saw the considerable expansion to the library since 2014, the man stopped and told Coover that he wished he had a library like the one in DeKalb growing up, and that she was continuing to change lives.

For this young man to get it in one visit, that we're giving people the opportunity to have knowledge and imagination absolutely free, was my ultimate compliment.

The two-year project more than tripled the library's size by adding a 45,000-square-foot addition that opened in January 2016.

The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce named the library its 2016 "Business of the Year" in recognition of its contribution to the community in January.

In her retirement, Coover plans to try creative writing and is working on a murder mystery.