The Journey Continues: Diane Insley
My journey this week takes me to San Marcos Public Library and its Director Diane Insley.
During my formative years on a ranch in west Texas, I accompanied my mother to Sweetwater, Texas, the county seat of the adjacent county. While my mom did her weekly grocery shopping and laundry, I used the time to visit Sweetwater’s library — it was my place of refuge where I could exercise my imagination and dream.
Mrs. Berry, the librarian, loved me and gave me the leniency to check out a paper bag full of magazines in addition to a bag full of library books. Her encouragement of reading helped shape my worldview and set my future trajectory for writing and scholarship.
Insley also understands the importance of books. Recently, I found her at the Reference Desk filling in for another librarian out due to illness. I had previously heard Insley speak at the Noonday Lions Club meeting. Her presentation was powerful and persuasive about the current library and its mission: “To create opportunities for our citizens to explore and expand their interest; to improve their academic, work and life skills; and to enhance their enjoyment of leisure time through reading and lifelong learning.”
Her heart is in the library and she is a passionate advocate for its expansion. I asked Insley to share how she came to love books?
“I am the oldest of nine children and lived in a very noisy house with a mother who was always busy cooking, cleaning and tending to children; but she still made time to read every day. Wellsville, New York, is a very small town, but the library was in a Georgian Colonial building, the grandest building in the town," Insley said. "The donated building housed a separate children’s wing, wood-paneled reading rooms, local history archives, art exhibition gallery, ballroom, an auditorium that seated 300, and an outdoor reading terrace complete with umbrella-shaded tables. Just like in San Marcos, the town held weekly free musical concerts on the lawn at the Library which was the cultural center of my hometown.
"While I was born in upstate New York, I couldn’t wait to get out of my small town; so, I enrolled in summer school right after high school graduation. I really enjoyed my college experience and I think that is why I went to five different schools with four different majors. I attended the University of Pittsburg as a pharmacy major and tried Nursing school at Austin Community College before I moved to San Marcos to attend Southwest Texas State University. I received my bachelor’s degree with an English major and History minor in December 1987, and in January started on my master’s at the University of Texas School of Library and Information Science. A part-time job opened at the San Marcos Public Library, and in May 1988, I was thrilled to be offered the position of children’s librarian, as a probationary employee and given two years to complete my master’s degree, which I did.
“I have been fortunate to have grown in my profession in one place. I just celebrated 31 years at the library — and if you think that is a long time, we just celebrated Mary Garcia who has been here 40 years. The city and the library have grown immensely since I started working. I have a heart for service, and I love living in San Marcos.
“In 2017, the Library Expansion and Remodel Project was approved on a bond election vote, with 78 percent of the community voting to expand the library. On June 4, the city council will consider approving the first part of the design/build phase of this project. Over the past two years, there has been a great effort in gathering ideas, evaluating architects, visiting new libraries and gathering references for builders. My dream for the future is to provide a library facility that is well-organized, beautiful, exciting and a place for the whole community to gather and enjoy.
“My greatest accomplishment is my family. My two children are BISMs — Born in San Marcos. My daughter Mary is a kindergarten teacher in Austin and my son Wilson is a CPA and lives in San Antonio. They both are in careers they love and have turned out to be really nice people.”
Insley's life verse is:
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Proverbs 31:8-9, NIV
