Spring 2001Page 5

Doreen Handles Human Resources

After successfully avoiding the spotlight for several years, Nebraska Library Commission Business Manager Doreen Kuhlmann was finally persuaded to sit for a photo and a brief interview. Doreen has always served in a management position at the Library Commission, working first under the directorship of John Kopischke, and later that of Rod Wagner. Her primary responsibilities are supervision of the administrative support staff and handling the accounting and payroll activities of the Commission. Matters related to human resources comprise a large part of Doreen's job. In fact, she said the most difficult aspect of her job is keeping up with the ever-changing employment and personnel laws.

Doreen is a mystery-reader, who owns a cat. "I have a cat," she said, "and my cat has a dog."

She went on to explain that when her previous dog died, the household cat was at a loss without its playmate. So she rescued an abused and neglected dog from the Humane Society. The cat quickly embarked upon its mission of teaching the poor canine how to play and enjoy the finer aspects of domestication.

In addition to her pets, Doreen enjoys the responsibilities of being a homeowner, although she admits that carpentry is not her forte. She notes that when the Library Commission moved into the Atrium in 1993, she injured herself trying to disassemble some shelves. A bar fell on her head, and the injury required stitches. "It's kind of funny," she remembered, "because I'm the safety officer and I'm the only one who got hurt during the entire move."

Christa is Eager to Visit Libraries

Christa Burns began a new phase of her career in December when she became the Library Commission's OCLC Member Services Coordinator. Originally from Saratoga Springs, NY, Christa previously worked as a reference librarian at Pace University Library on the Briarcliff campus. She decided to explore career opportunities in Nebraska after beginning a "cyber-romance" with her boyfriend, Chris, who lives in Lincoln. She was not familiar with the Great Plains before coming here to visit Chris, and her first experiences of the vast openness provoked a mild case of agoraphobia.

She is becoming acclimated to the flat, nearly treeless vistas and is eager to begin traveling to libraries around the state as part of her job with the Commission.

Her reading preferences are science fiction and fantasy. She and Chris recently read Dune to compare and contrast it with the Sci-Fi Channel mini-series and the original David Lynch movie. She also enjoys music—-especially classic rock and blues—-and likes attending concerts and clubs. She's looking forward to warmer, friendlier weather when she plans to get out and about, exploring the city and what it has to offer.

Back to Commission Publications

Page 5

go to page   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15