Ed Burns, Ferndale Librarian Celebrates His Career
By Ryan Ennis
AT THE FERNDALE PUBLIC LIBRARY, ED BURNS BECAME MUCH MORE THAN A COMMON FIGURE CIRCULATING AMONG THE BOOKSHELVES AND COMPUTER STATIONS. To its many visitors, he was viewed as an information specialist. Even when his arms were laden with books, DVDs, and other media items, patrons didn’t hesitate approaching him. They knew he would readily put the materials aside to answer reference questions, provide film recommendations, and offer technology support.
What some residents may not have learned about Burn is that his ties to Ferndale began long before he stepped into his role as an adult services librarian, almost 15 years ago. His connection to the city actually started in 1987, when he found an affordable apartment. “The Downtown was a ghost town back then,” he says. “Ferndale has changed so much (during the time) I’ve lived here. I credit the many civic-minded citizens who have worked to improve the quality of life here.”
After establishing himself in the IT field, he further tightened his local ties by purchasing a home on the east end of town in the mid-’90s. While his IT work often led to long hours, he managed to find time to volunteer at the library. Before long, he “got involved with the Friends of the Ferndale Library, and eventually became president of the group,” believing he had found his niche.
AT AGE 50, BURNS EMBARKED ON A NEW VOCATIONAL DIRECTION. Taking a risk, he resigned from his IT job, and increased his library and information science coursework at Wayne State University. Around the same period, his status at the library changed from volunteer to part-time and then to full-time, much to the delight of those with whom he professionally interacted. “I brought a level of technology support to both staff and the public that had been absent,” he says.
Since then, he has held several titles and positions: Adult Services Librarian; Interim Director (twice); and, lastly, Head of Reference and Adult Services. When asked about the high points of his library career, he states: “Anybody who knows me knows how proud I am of our foreign language film collection, which was non-existent before I came on the scene.” Another achievement, as well as a testament to his interpersonal skills, is that “when I was interim director, I didn’t tick off any of my staff enough so that we couldn’t go back to working side-by-side when my tenure was over.”
Challenging times loomed ahead for Burns when the pandemic struck in the late winter of 2020. He found it discouraging that the forced closure of the library meant patrons lost access to its materials and technology. When the Library was finally able to offer services via Zoom (an online video platform), he felt grateful that patrons living and/or working in isolation could have their boredom eased and their needs met. As a silver lining, the start of curbside delivery created a sense of comradery among the staff from different departments who had to work together to gather and package the materials for the patrons to pick up.
According to Burns, the library programs presented via Zoom have been well-attended. Although some patrons have requested that the programs return to being in-person, others still prefer the Zoom format. Burns sees a hybrid of the two as pointing the way to the future. The combining of the two, he feels, will help librarians reach the largest possible audience.
DESPITE SO MANY SUCCESSES, BURNS DECIDED LAST AUGUST THAT HE WAS READY TO RETIRE. “I quietly told Director Jenny Marr first,” he says, “and gradually let the word get out.” He set his retirement date for the spring of 2022. To honor his many years of dedication, his colleagues put on a soiree for him. “A lot of people came,” continues Burns, “And I was glad, because we had a lot of cake. It’s quite something to spend a couple of hours hearing people say kind things about you.”
Reflecting on the past decade and a half, Burns realizes he will miss serving the community. It delighted him when patrons would stop by the reference desk to express their gratitude. They appreciated landing a job after Burns showed them how to upload a résumé to a recruiter’s website, or receiving a good grade on an assignment based on the resources Burns had collected for them. “Helping people,” says Burns, “is by far the most rewarding part of the job,” no matter how big or small their needs are.
Presently, he is celebrating his retirement by spending the summer in Ocean City, New Jersey. “I haven’t been in over 30 years,” Burns says, “and there has been a hole in my heart. I do hope to get a part-time job up on the boardwalk, selling fudge or making T-shirts. Just something so that I’m out there and being part of the summer-at-the-shore scene.”
When Burns comes home after Labor Day, his plans are less certain. Yet, he acknowledges, “You just might occasionally find me back on the reference desk at the Ferndale Library.”
