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October 16, 2008

Longtime Rusk librarian Ruth Mather set to retire

By Cristin Ross

cross@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Ruth Mather has been the “go-to girl” at the Singletary Memorial Library in Rusk for 14 years.

City officials held a retirement gala for Mather on Wednesday morning at the library, where she revealed she now plans to be the “go-to girl” for volunteering work.

“Ruth has brought the library through so many changes in the time she’s been here,” Rusk City Manager Mike Murray said. “I think when she first got here, we didn’t have any computers at all.”

Mather laughed and said, “We had one in the director’s office and it wasn’t even set up yet. I think it was running Windows 3.1 or something.”

Mather admitted dealing with the computers and ever-changing technology has been the biggest challenge during her stint in the stacks.

“I’m happy to report there is a strong bookworm community here,” the librarian said. “Computers will not ever do away with the book.”

Mather started her career in Rusk as a patron of the library.

“I found out they had an opening and I took it,” she said.

Not much of a stretch since she’d worked 19 years prior at the Jacksonville Public Library. She and her husband moved to the area in 1976 when he took a job at Waller Broadcasting in Jacksonville.

“I started out as a technical service clerk, which was a fancy title for a typist,” she joked. “Before long I became head of cataloguing.”

When she moved into the head librarian’s position, she took a Small Libraries Management course — offered to those librarians who don’t have a degree in Library Science.

“Fortunately, the librarians at Jacksonville always believed in cross training,” she said, “so I knew the jobs in all areas.”

Mather is most proud of leaving the legacy of a building fund to her replacement. Mather battled flooding at the back door and other building design flaws for several years, before city officials renovated and updated the building in 2001 and allowed for more routine maintenance in the annual budget.

Mather’s love for books and serving people is what’ll be missed the most by frequent library patrons.

“She always helps me when I say ‘I like so-and-so author, but I’ve read all his books’ and she says ‘why don’t you try ...,’” regular library visitor Camille Jones said. “She’s usually on the mark, too.”

Jeremy Shedd, who said he usually comes to the library to use the computers, added, “She’s always really nice and helpful, even on the computer.”

Part-time librarian Nancy Ford will step in until city officials hire another head librarian.

“She’s such a wonderful person,” Ford said of Mather. “We worked well together and I hate to see her leave. She will be missed.”

Mather’s advice to the new librarian?

“Smile a lot and don’t ‘shhh’ people too much,” she said.

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