Tom Moak started his career at Mid-Columbia Libraries before the age of the internet.

He joined the library district in 1979, back when there were no library cards, and customers signed a three-ring binder when checking out books and materials.

There were 16mm films, mostly educational, art prints and 33 1/3  RPM classical records for loan.

Times sure have changed over the arc of Moak’s 41 years as a librarian with MCL. He retired as the West Richland branch manager on March 4.

Today, patrons have 24/7 access to more than 400,000 books, audiobooks, magazines, and videos, including more than 100,000 downloadable e-books, audiobooks, e-magazines and streaming video.

He began working in a library as a teen. Growing up in Tacoma, his first library job was as a page at a local Tacoma library branch.

He had attended Western Washington University with the intention of becoming a Spanish teacher and also worked as a substitute teacher for several years.

But, he enjoyed his work at the library and decided to pursue a master of librarianship at the University of Washington.

After completing his degree in fall 1979, Moak moved to the east side of the state to begin his job as head reference librarian at the Kennewick library, now called the Keewaydin Park branch, in downtown Kennewick.

At the time, MCL consisted of the Bookmobile and five branches: Benton City, Connell, Kennewick, Pasco, and West Richland.  Today, there are 12 branches, a rural delivery service and a digital branch.

MCL founder Neva LeBlond Bequette had already retired when Moak arrived, but he got to know her well and would later be the emcee at her memorial service in the library she built in 1964.

With the opening of the new Kennewick branch on Union Street in 1999, Moak served as branch manager there until 2016.

With his years of MCL knowledge and expertise, it’s no wonder Moak was the library jeopardy champ (by a long shot) at all-staff training day in 2019.

“That’s what I live for,” he said with a smile.

Moak also has lent his library expertise at the state level. In the 1990s, Moak served as chairman of the bylaws committee for the Washington Library Association.

Since taking the helm at the West Richland library five years ago, Moak seen usage increasing, especially since the remodel of the building in early 2019.

“The staff have risen to the challenge of meeting the needs of the West Richland community, which really supports their library,” he said. “Staff go the extra mile. They make me look good. It really is the people who work with me—with their great community service attitude—who deserve a lot of the credit. There’s a framework here for the next manager to do even better.”

Moak opted to retire in March because it gives a new manager some time to get settled before the rush of summer.

And, he didn’t fancy working another March, one of the longest months of the year, he said.

MCL Executive Director and Chief Librarian Kyle Cox said the library district is thankful for the commitment, community focus and zeal for knowledge Moak has given to MCL. “Tom’s mark on life in the Mid-Columbia can be seen within our libraries and in so many other organizations. He is the personification of a life lived in service, believing life can be made better through effort and intention,” Cox said.

Staying busy

While he has a plenty of mixed emotions about retiring, Moak has many ongoing commitments—from another part-time job and volunteer leadership roles, to home improvement projects—to fill his time.

“I don’t think I’ll be bored,” he said. “It’s a good time to look afresh at things.”

Moak serves as a Port of Kennewick commissioner, a position he has held since 2014; his current term lasts four more years.

He is president of the Kennewick Housing Authority, vice president of his Kiwanis Club, and he recently became president of the Benton-Franklin-Walla Walla Good Roads and Transportation Association.

Moak has a long history of community involvement and volunteerism. He served for 12 years on the Kennewick City Council and was appointed and briefly served as a state representative for the 8th District.

He was president of the East Benton County Historical Society, where he’s proud to have implemented historic home tours and installed historic marker plaques on city sidewalks.

“If you’re doing things that you feel are rewarding to you and the community, you keep doing them,” he said.

Retirement plans

In retirement, Moak said he looks forward to being able to travel again (post-pandemic), to reading more often (he is a big fan of genealogy and family and local history), to taking naps, and to attending library programs.

“I want to enjoy being busy doing the things I want to do, when I want to do them,” he said.