DALLAS — Janet Bauman has no super hero cape, no magic powers and no wand.
What she does have is thousands of books and the ability to tap into the curiosity and interest of children to open their worlds to the unlimited sources of fiction and nonfiction housed at the Back Mountain Memorial Library in Dallas.
Bauman is proud of the hundreds of children she interacted with during her 17-and-a-half-year career as the children’s librarian at the Back Mountain Memorial Library, which made the decision to retire on Sept. 7 hard.
“I will miss the children, the (library) staff and families,” she said. “The children are so sweet.”
The 63-year-old said her reason to shelve her career was made when her daughter, Laura and her husband Alex, who reside in Amesbury, Mass., announced they are expecting their first child.
Bauman’s second daughter, Jennifer and her husband Seth and 18-month-old daughter Pipa are moving to Cumberland, Maine, putting the family hours away from her sister.
“I want to spend time with my grandchildren,” Bauman said. “That is the big reason for my retirement.”
On Tuesday, Aug. 29, Bauman sat in the back of the Children’s Library and told her story. She gazed upon the thousands of books in their collection and recalled many of her accomplishments.
“I started in March 2000,” she said noting the previous children’s librarian was Marilyn Rudolph. “I learned a lot from her.”
Bauman with the support of the library staff and volunteers was able to implement many programs offered through the Commonwealth Library in Harrisburg, such as a toddler program for one-and two-year-olds; ‘Mother Goose on the Loose’ program for two-year-olds; block building programs and a kindergarten readiness program to name a few.
The library’s junior fiction section was also expanded to meet the accelerated reading programs at both Dallas and Lake-Lehman school districts, she said.
Recently, the library received three touch screen computer stations for children, Bauman said.
“It was a dream fulfilled,” she said.
Now, Bauman will hand the reigns of the Children’s Library over to Jenn Perch of Luzerne. Perch was employed as a library aide with both Wycallis and Dallas Elementary schools and as a reading specialist aide at Dallas Elementary School.
Bauman treasures her memories of working with children, their families and the library volunteers. Children’s drawings taped to the front of her desk stands as a tribute to her connection with the community.
“There was one child who came to the toddler program who would leave his mom and sit on my lap,” she said. “One volunteer, Mae Rome, was with me since I started. She is also retiring.”
Bauman attributes the success of the library’s program to the supportive nature of parents and the community.
“I have ladies who come in and wash the book covers,” she said. “We have good families out here.”
