Lexington, KY - When Kathleen Imhoff walks into a room, you can't help but notice. She's definitely not a stereotypical librarian. First, the luscious, shiny red hair that always makes me green with envy. Then, her dress and the colors she wears make me stop and look again: she's stylish with an edge nowhere near traditional. Then she opens her mouth. Strong voice, strong presence, Imhoff is one smart, impressive woman.
Raised and educated in Wisconsin, her first job out of college was in Dadeville, Alabama, as Director of the Horseshoe Bend Regional Library. "I was 22-years-old and scared stiff, but I had five wonderful, learning years in that job and I built my first library there." Since then, she has participated in 36 other library building projects and admits, "I love designing and building 21st century library buildings."
She came to Lexington in 2003 from Fort Lauderdale, where she worked to develop nine new libraries and the remodeling of 21 others. Stops along the way include the Atlanta Public Library, the library system of the State of Wisconsin, and the Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library System in Georgia.
Once in Lexington, Imhoff facilitated the merger of Biblioteca Hispana in Cardinal Hill into a full-service library called Village Branch. The Branch continues to serve the diverse population on the west side, thanks, in part, to an early partnership with Fifth Third Bank which committed to purchasing Spanish language materials. The branch has a bilingual staff, and its collections include 40 percent bilingual materials. Imhoff and the Board of the Lexington Public Library also undertook the design and construction of the North Side Library branch.
During Imhoff's tenure, the library has pushed to increase the variety and scope of its program offerings - now everything from Wii and Scrabble tournaments to workshops on knitting and genealogy, evenings of jazz and film, can be found there. When she first arrived in Lexington, program attendance at the Lexington Public Library was just under 39,000. In fiscal year 2008, that number had nearly doubled to 68,619.
In 2008, the Southeastern Library Association awarded her the prestigious Rothrock Award, "to honor a librarian who has contributed substantially to the furtherance of librarianship in the Southeast during a career." Imhoff's reputation as a first-rate librarian extends well beyond her local and regional role. In November, she was elected to serve a five-year term on the international, 13-member OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) Board of Trustees, where she is the only public librarian.
When she's not busy with the six Lexington public libraries - where she has the help of 246 staff members - Imhoff loves antiquing, taking long walks in her Westmoreland neighborhood or along the creek that runs behind the home she shares with husband, Clement. She's most proud of her two sons who graduated college and entered public service.