The Man Invested His Life in Something He Believed In

By R. Gabriel Villalobos

This month, after 27 years on the board, the Carlsbad Public Library says goodbye to its president, Robert Chavez. He leaves his role as board president after leading the board in a number of achievements over the years, including the development of a number of programs that serve the community in ways beyond what most might think of when they talk about libraries.

Chavez addressed a gathering in his honor. “I got my first library card in 1963; that’s 61 years ago if I counted right.”

It would be fair to characterize his relationship with the library as long and involved. He talked about all the practical learning he was able to do in his youth. In those days, libraries were the only windows to the world. It would take another three decades before the internet showed up, offering real-time access to information from across the globe.

A Leader Left His Mark in the Community

Even in our current time, the library serves as an access point to the internet for those who need that service. Computer terminals are available to everyone with a library card. Despite being known for its collection of printed literature, the library offers the community so much more. There are newspapers, periodicals, computer terminals, resources for the hearing impaired, and an excellent collection of DVDs.

Those needing a meeting room equipped with large flat screens to show videos or slide presentations have access to the Bob Scholl memorial meeting room. It is a relatively recent addition to the library’s list of services, made possible by a grant from T-Mobile.

Scholl was an area teacher who passed away in 2020 at the age of 93. His lifetime of service is commemorated with a thoughtful commitment of resources to facilitate focused meetings.

The library has a seed-swapping program that promotes gardening at home, and it is also planning to debut an on-site community garden in 2026. There will be community workshops that teach how best to grow food and herbs in this climate. For anyone who has wondered if they have a green thumb or just wished their own were greener, useful tips and methods are shared among like-minded enthusiasts.

There is also a steady stream of children’s programming. Kids can attend arts-and-crafts events, puppet shows, live music performances, and story time. There is a fine selection of young adult titles and children’s books, but the library really comes alive for kids during its curated series of events designed just for them.

The library offers color and black-and-white printing, and the information desk is manned by knowledgeable staff who can usually help find or figure out nearly anything they are asked about. The library is its own resource but can also direct those in need to other community resources. It has become the towering institution that it is through the effort and leadership of wise and capable people.

He’s Not Even Done Serving the People of Carlsbad

Chavez’s legacy as president of the board is one of deep affection and hope for his community. He spoke to a room of friends and colleagues at his farewell ceremony and assured everyone that he would not be disengaging with the community. He has already found a new way to serve.

He evoked the name of Abraham Maslow, one of modern psychology’s favorite thinkers, saying, “There is a pyramid of human needs that begins, at its base, with the most fundamental requirements for survival.” He explained that he was simply moving towards the base of the pyramid. As Maslow pointed out, humanity’s most basic needs were at the lowest level of this intelligible pyramid. Among them are our need for food, water, air, and excretion.

Humans have more needs than this, of course, but without meeting these needs, no higher needs can be met. This is what has led Chavez to lend his experience and wisdom to that team of people who are tackling the challenges of bringing water where it’s needed and moving waste from where it cannot stay in his new role on the Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners.