Jon Mark Bolthouse, who has been the director of the Fond du Lac Public Library (FDLPL) for the past 13 years, will be leaving his position leading the community’s library. His last day will be Sunday, Aug. 24; a community celebration of his years of service is being planned and will be announced at a later date.

Bolthouse recently accepted a library director position at North Suburban Library District near Rockford, Illinois.

“Losing a director is never easy, especially someone like Jon Mark who has led the library through amazing transitions,” said Dusty Krikau, president of the Fond du Lac Public Library Board of Trustees.

Bolthouse leaves Fond du Lac after shepherding FDLPL through a transformation in how library patrons access library materials. While accessing materials online has been growing in popularity for years, COVID moved people toward embracing digital resources like never before. Under Bolthouse’s leadership, the Fond du Lac Public Library has greatly increased its use of e-resources and just completed a major upgrade of its website so that library users can find those resources more readily.

Krikau noted that Bolthouse led the library through other transitions, “like moving the used bookstore from the basement to its standalone building at Chapter 52; through practical transitions, like redesigning the parking lot for easy book drop; and through unexpected transitions, like the operational gymnastics required by the pandemic and the curbside pickup it inspired.”

She also praised his leadership in expanding the library’s collection and energy efficiency.

“He has increased the library’s impact on people with the ‘library of things,’ Experience Passes, and the Idea Studio, while decreasing its impact on our climate by using grants for solar panels and updated energy-efficient lighting,” Krikau said. “We know that the next library he serves will flourish just like ours has and benefit from his ability to constantly innovate and adapt. We wish him and his family all the best.”

Library Board member Julie Schroeder explained that Bolthouse’s gifts went beyond considering the library’s collection and construction.

“Jon Mark’s empathetic leadership and his efforts to make the Fond du Lac Public Library a radically welcome place for all will be missed,” she said. “He has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovative ideas, resources, and programming to ensure that the FDLPL is a valuable resource to all patrons.”

Lauren Herlache, a member of the Library Board and the Friends of the Library, also praised Bolthouse’s impact on the library and the community.

“It has been an honor to get to know Jon Mark while serving on the Library Board. The progress made during his tenure as director is truly impressive,” she said. “I’m deeply grateful for his vision and dedication, which helped shape our library into the vibrant, welcoming space it is today. It was under Jon Mark’s leadership that I fell in love with the library, and I’ve come to appreciate just how much of that is thanks to his efforts. He will be greatly missed and will no doubt be an incredible asset to the next community he serves.”

The board will begin a search for the next director of the Fond du Lac Public Library in the coming weeks. More details about this search will be announced as they become available.

Fond du Lac Public Library operates two locations: the Main Library at 32 Sheboygan St. in downtown Fond du Lac, and the Allen J. Buechel Branch at 1139 E. Johnson St. near Festival Foods. The main library is open daily: Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Chapter 52 Bookstore at 52 Sheboygan St. is open Monday through Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., while the Allen J. Buechel Branch is open weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m., and weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information about any of these locations, visit fdlpl.org.