Wyandotte West Column

Yes, I have my own newspaper column too! Alright! This ought to be fun... Here's my first column. Enjoy!

New Business Librarian Arrives at Kansas City, Kansas Public Library

Hello, my name is Curt Friehs and I’m the new business librarian at Kansas City, Kansas Public Library. I look forward to serving the Kansas City, Kansas business community and the many opportunities that lie ahead. First of all, I would like to introduce myself and provide some background.

Many years ago, I ran a small landscaping business. This was my first taste of the business world and it wouldn’t be my last. I think I always knew that I wanted to do something with business but I also had an interest in libraries. Combining the two interests into a career became a reality several years ago when I starting working as the business librarian at Wichita State University.

Working with Wichita business students, faculty and community patrons was a wonderful experience that I will never forget. Diverse information requests came from a variety of different folks. That’s one of the things that attracted me to librarianship in the first place –the interesting questions.

Probably the best part of being a librarian is the ability to help people locate resources. Databases and technology have become key areas of focus in the field of librarianship. Nonetheless, books still remain an important force and of course people are our most valuable resource in the community. Books, DVDs, and so on are inanimate objects. It’s not until someone uses them that they reach their true potential. Facilitating information access to a vibrant community of life-long learners is definitely a focus at Kansas City, Kansas Public Library.

On a personal note, I have Kansas roots and I also lived in Pennsylvania for many years. People ask me, “Where in Pennsylvania did you live?” I’ve lived in most of the major parts of the state. I’ve called Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and even Central Pennsylvania home. I went to school at the University of Pittsburgh where I studied business and library science. I became a huge Pittsburgh sports fan in addition to being a Jayhawks fan. It’s funny, in Pennsylvania one can almost divide the state up based on football team loyalties.

There’s almost an “Intra-Pennsylvania rivalry”. Pittsburghers seem mildly aware of this. From Pittsburgh brand cream cheese to Primanti Brothers cheese steaks (completely different from a Philly steak); Pittsburgh is a different world than Philadelphia. Perhaps the most unique part of the ‘burgh is its regional dialect known as Pittsburghese. Yinz, every heard of that one? If not, check out www.pittsburghese.com.

Jokes aside, I really like being back in Kansas. There is something to be said for sunflowers and sunny summer days. Of course, I can’t forget Kansas City barbecue. It truly is world class dining and in Kansas City it’s a competitive business market at its finest. Until next time, I’ll see you in the library.

One Additional Note:

Starting in September 2008 a bulk of my blog posts will be from my newspaper articles from the "Wyandotte West" Newspaper presented here with their permission.

Basically, "Wyandotte West" gets some good material for their newspaper and web site. Meanwhile, I get another place to post those articles. If you'd like more information about the publisher of "Wyandotte West", check www.kcease.com