The Kyle Fire Depart-ment came to the library on Splash Day to give children fire safety tips and stayed to cool the kids down with a water hose. (Courtesy photos)
Norma Mercado (right) used a spider puppet while reciting There’s a Spider on the Floor to children attending Kyle Community Library story time. Norma was assisted by Kirsten Barbee (left) and Emily Mazanec (middle).
Check it out
by CONNIE BROOKS
Norma Mercado, Kyle Community Library’s beloved “Miss Norma,” is leaving the library to become Creedmoor Elementary
School’s “community liaison.” The staff and patrons of Kyle Community Library wish her well in her new position.
Norma became the storyteller at the Kyle Community Library on September 11, 2006. Before coming to the Kyle Library, Norma spent seven years as a family advocate for Head Start, where she did story times to give the Head Start teachers a much needed break.
In the fall of 2006, there was only one story time per week, instead of the three per week currently hosted by the library. Norma fondly remembers how Bill Mears, former library director, told her to plan for 20 children to attend that first story time, and only six came. This is quite a contrast to the present. Norma now plans for a hundred children to attend the three weekly story times, which include a story time in both English and Spanish on Friday mornings.
Adults, both patrons and staff members, also will miss Norma. Norma routinely goes the extra mile to help people and is famous for her mischievous sense of humor. Even when the line at the circulation desk is long and lots of people are vying for her attention, she always remains cheerful.
Norma’s last day of work at the Kyle Community Library will be Thursday, July 22—wrap-up day for the summer reading program. So come to the big party for the prize drawings, pizza, snow cones, moonwalk, face painting and train rides, but don’t forget to say goodbye to Norma.
Goodbye, Norma! Thanks for everything and good luck in your next job.
