Cromaine Librarian Says Good-Bye to "Magical" Storytimes

For 30 minutes on a sunny Tuesday morning, Pat McCall, the long-time children’s librarian at , laughed, played and danced with the group of toddler-aged children gathered together for their weekly story time.

It wasn’t until after the last child left the room, however, giving “Miss Pat” one last hug and small wave that McCall finally let a few stray tears fall. Huffing in a big breath, McCall gave a shaky smile.

“That was hard,” she whispered.

After 12 years, McCall had just read her last story as the Cromaine library's popular storyteller. The 65-year-old Hartland resident will be retiring next week with her last day scheduled for Aug. 6.

“I just have so much fun doing the stories,” McCall said. “It’s kind of magical.”

Moving to the area 43 years ago, McCall started her career in Hartland as a substitute teacher, eventually accepting a position as a teacher in the schools. Cromaine library, however, was always a resource for the former teacher who eventually made the transition into becoming a children’s librarian over a decade ago.

It was the enthusiasm she saw in the faces of the young children she read to that became her favorite part of story time, according to McCall.

“I love to use props in all my story times,” she said. “So I use a lot of music, a lot of movement, a lot of puppets.”

With her favorite puppet, Sassy the skunk by her side, McCall says that watching the children of the community grow up has also been a "special" part of her job.

It's her rapport with the children, according to Jeanne Smith, Cromaine Library's youth department head, that will be one of the things staff and parents will miss most about McCall.

“She treats them (children) like human beings,” Smith said. “She never talks down to them – they know she loves them.”

With her educational background and experience in the school, Smith said that McCall was able to bring those elements to the children’s section of the library. Being able to combine other non-fiction aspects, such as simple science lessons, into storytime was one of her special talents, according to Smith. 

And although the shy librarian asked that announcements of her upcoming retirement be kept at a minimum, Smith said she knew that there would be many people from the community who would want to know where “Miss Pat” went.

“As much as Pat doesn’t want to be the center of attention…. We’ve got to tell these kids because they’re going to be heartbroken and they need to be able to say good-bye if they can,” Smith said.

Calling her retirement a “new adventure” McCall says she and husband of 45 years will remain in the area and have plans to become more active in volunteer opportunities such as Meals on Wheels. She also hopes to volunteer in the local elementary schools doing story times in the media centers.

“I can continue my link with libraries and children,” she said.

But one of the things the grandmother of three says she is looking forward to the most, however, is spending more time with her out-of-state family.

“I love being a grandma and part of that joy, I’m realizing, translates here when I do story times,” McCall said. “All of these children become my temporary grandchildren.”