What the Library Means To Mark Chamberlin

As a local TV veteran, Rotarian, community volunteer, and virtually retired marketing agency executive, Mark Chamberlin is indeed a Renaissance man.

Mark was born in Salt Lake City, and his family moved around a lot for his father’s work.

As a boy, he was fascinated by World War II paratroopers and looked up every book he could find at the Western Springs, Illinois, library. One of the books was about the D-Day invasion, and he remembers seeing a color image of a soldier with a badly injured arm and the words “Never saw the enemy, never fired a shot.” His wife Barbara’s father was a
combat photographer during WWII, so he shared many conversations with him about his experience. This fall, their trip to Normandy to visit the nearly 9,400 graves of American service members brought the experience full circle.

During high school, Mark wanted to be an engineer like his father. But after struggling with advanced algebra, he switched gears and focused on acting and journalism. While taking a film class, a professor at the University of Oklahoma saw his natural talent at visual storytelling. “People influence our lives,” said Mark. “This professor’s words meant a lot to me, they gave my life direction.”

People influence our lives. This professor’s words meant a lot to me, they gave my life direction.”

After graduating, Mark pursued a career in broadcast journalism and landed a job in Wichita at KAKE-TV, the local ABC affiliate. He later joined the Wichita Public Library Foundation board and was part of the group that planted the seed for a new downtown library. A lifelong learner, Mark mostly checks out audiobooks and loves to look at the microfiche at the Advanced Learning Library. “I know I can go see the Wichita Eagle and find what was going on 50 years ago in Wichita. It’s fun to see the old Henry’s ads, and the leading content of the day.” Mark also completed his certification to use the Library’s 3D printers and created this air tag holder for luggage.

“In life, there are few things that you fall in love with, and the library is one for me.” Mark is proud of being part of a small group that pushed hard to pull it together. “I’m proud to have made a contribution that resulted in the construction of the Advanced Learning Library.”

In life, there are few things that you fall in love with, and the library is one for me.”

Mark is a force for good in the community, and for Wichita Public Library. He continues to serve on the Wichita Library Foundation’s Board of Directors and is passionate about the Library’s impact. “I love that the library is open to everybody. There are so many resources beyond books—collaboration and meeting rooms, e-books and audio books, technology classes—the list goes on and on. And anyone who has a library card has free access to these items.”