Steve Rzasa
Steve Rzasa was recently named Director of the Johnson County Library, replacing Cynthia Twing, who retired after 20 years as Director and nearly 30 years at the library.
Steve was first hired by the library in 2008. His promotion to Director after his many years of working under Cynthia creates continuity of leadership at the library — part of why he applied. “I’ve adopted her philosophy of libraries being a community equalizer, a place that anyone should be able to use,” he said. “That’s something I want to continue. I was also intrigued by the challenge of shepherding the library into a new era, while maintaining all the things that make it great.”
Steve is a 2000 graduate of Boston University’s School of Communications with a bachelor’s degree in print journalism. He worked seven years for Courier Publications in Midcoast Maine, first as a reporter, then as the assistant editor at a weekly newspaper. He moved to Buffalo in August of 2007 to become editor of the Buffalo Bulletin before he was hired by the library.
He put his educational background to work right away when he came to the Johnson County Library, creating the library’s first newsletter. When he became the Technical Services Librarian a couple of years later, his duties expanded to include linking new books and technical troubleshooting with the public, in addition to publishing the newsletter, handling communications, issuing press releases, and managing social media. He was one of the first library employees in Wyoming to receive ALA Library Support Staff Certification.
The library’s greatest strength, he says, is the staff . “We’re also blessed to have our expanded library, which has opened up opportunities for new programming and more room for people to simply relax in the library.”
With the completion of the library expansion three years ago, Steve says the next thing on the agenda is a new strategic plan. “For so long the goal was to expand the Johnson County Library,” he said. “That goal’s been achieved, so we now need to be mindful of what our next target should be.”
As the library moves forward, Steve said customer service will be an emphasis. “The focus should always be on the patron. We’re always on the lookout for new opportunities to serve the public and new things we can offer.”