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Beloved Athabasca-area librarian retires after 21-year career

Cynthia Graefe honoured during retirement open house May 31
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Close to 250 people stopped by the Alice B. Donahue Library and Archives to celebrate head librarian Cynthia Graefe’s last day May 31, including (L-R) Jacinta Jorgenson, Roxena Patry, and Sharon Faragini, who posed with Graefe for a photo. Graefe, who spent 21 years at the library, says that she’ll miss the people the most, and the paperwork the least.

ATHABASCA – Cynthia Graefe was hoping for a quiet retirement; after her 21 years as the librarian at the Alice B. Donahue Library and Archives, Graefe was ready to go enjoy her time in the countryside, ideally with a good “whodunnit” book.

Instead, close to 250 people showed up the library throughout the day-long event May 31 to wish her well, all with kind words to celebrate the woman who had dedicated so much of her time to the unassuming, but not underappreciated, profession.

“I was astonished at the number of people who came in, quite frankly, and I was astonished by the generosity,” said Graefe during a lull in the festivities. “It’s been a wonderful time in my life, to be sure. I have no regrets about having done this, none whatsoever.”

That “wonderful time” started with some volunteer work after her first career at a bank had ended, and the former English major decided that she needed to get out of the house.

“I had just moved to the countryside, and my husband was working in the city during the week. I just really needed to do something, so I joined the library, and I started to volunteer shelving books. I don’t remember what exactly started it, but I think I did something silly, maybe the way I spoke to my dog, but I realized ‘uh-oh, I need to get out more,’” said Graefe with a laugh.

Hailing from St. Johns, NL, the first-generation townie said that the best part of her job was the people, without a doubt.

“When people come into a library, they want to be there,” she said, contrasting it to her previous experience at a bank. “They’re not coming in to complain, so it’s a much more positive relationship. And the people I’ve worked with, colleagues and volunteers, they’ve just been wonderful. I got to meet a lot of terrific people who came in to volunteer at the library.”

Unlike a typical day in a library, Graefe’s retirement festivities were definitely boisterous. Mary Olsen and the rest of her choir were present, singing three songs with some customized lyrics to celebrate Graefe, and old friends sat around a table or milled in the hallway, sharing a word with Graefe as she made sure to visit with everyone.

Now that she’s had time to look back on her legacy, Graefe said that the work they’ve always done with the summer reading program was her favourite.

“I think certainly we’ve always had a summer reading program for kids; we’ve never charged for that, it’s always been a free program. That’s our claim to fame, that we offer our programs at no charge. I won’t say they’re accessible to everybody, since you need to have transportation or the time to do them, but we try to make them as open as we can,” said Graefe.

Athabasca library board chair Nadine Byers summed up everyone’s feelings saying Graefe always made patrons “feel special and welcome” and will be sorely missed.

“Cynthia leaves a legacy as someone who really enjoyed working with our patrons. She made people, (and their pets) each feel special and welcome,” said Byers in a June 1 e-mail. “This was exemplified all the people that come out, including current and former board members. We wish Cynthia all the best in her future endeavours.”

Cole Brennan, TownandCountryToday.com


Cole Brennan

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