2024 Standout Friends Spotlight #6 of 8: Northfield

Lynne Young’s commitment to Northfield Public Library is unmatched – and unlikely ever to be so. In total, she helmed the well-reputed Rice County library as its director for more than 27 years. Over this period of growth for the community (and marked development in library service), Young oversaw several watershed achievements. These include the establishment of bookmobile service, kickstarting a campaign to reinvest and expand NPL’s historic building, and creation of a Foundation to augment and amplify the hard work of the local Friends of the Library.

After she retired in 2013, no one would have faulted Young for stepping back entirely from library work. Instead, she jumped almost immediately into a leadership position with the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library – and has served tirelessly on the board over the decade since. It is a fitting bookend to her distinguished career. While director, Young actively fostered the growth of the budding group. Later, she established an official liaison role between the library and Friends boards.

Among myriad other traits and skills, Friends chair Gary Miessler praises her financial acumen. “While many board members shy away from words like investments and assets, Lynne spent years as our treasurer, translating the fiscal realities of the Friends’ budget into charts and lists that even the most numerically challenged among us could understand!”Lynne Young’s commitment to Northfield Public Library is unmatched – and unlikely ever to be so. In total, she helmed the well-reputed Rice County library as its director for more than 27 years. Over this period of growth for the community (and marked development in library service), Young oversaw several watershed achievements. These include the establishment of bookmobile service, kickstarting a campaign to reinvest and expand NPL’s historic building, and creation of a Foundation to augment and amplify the hard work of the local Friends of the Library.