Bernard Oppenneer: Difference between revisions

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He was known for his love of Alice in Wonderland and often dressed as the Mad Hatter.
He was known for his love of Alice in Wonderland and often dressed as the Mad Hatter.
[[File:Bernard Oppenneer and Jim Edgar.jpg|450px|left|thumb|Librarians Virginia Brosseit and Lee Cho, with Governor Jim Edgar and library administrator Bernard Oppenneer. Undated slide, probably 1982]]
[[File:Bernard Oppenneer and Jim Edgar.jpg|450px|left|thumb|Librarians Virginia Brosseit and Lee Cho with Governor Jim Edgar and library administrator Bernard Oppenneer. Undated slide, probably 1982]]
[[Category:People associated with the library]]
[[Category:People associated with the library]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oppenneer, Bernard}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oppenneer, Bernard}}

Revision as of 11:32, 22 July 2025

Bernard Oppenneer at the library at 841 Graceland. Undated photo, probably late 1970s. Photo credit: Des Plaines Journal.

Bernard Lee Oppenneer (1928-2024) was adminstrator of the Des Plaines Public Library from 1977 to 1994. During his tenure he oversaw the conversion from the card catalog to the online catalog and the installation of the self-checkout machines. He also brought literacy classes to the library.

During his time in Des Plaines, he also served as president of the Kiwanis Club and the Art Guild.

Mr. Oppenneer was born December 5, 1928 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He served as a Private First Class in the Engineer Corps as a radioman and cartographer in the United States Army.

He began his library career as a page in his junior high school in Grand Rapids. He received his Master's of Library Science from the University of Michigan.

Before coming to Des Plaines, he was head librarian at the Reddick Public Library in Ottawa, Illinois, Travers Area District Library in Traverse City, Saginaw Public Libraries, and the Gail Borden Library in Elgin.

He was known for his love of Alice in Wonderland and often dressed as the Mad Hatter.

Librarians Virginia Brosseit and Lee Cho with Governor Jim Edgar and library administrator Bernard Oppenneer. Undated slide, probably 1982