End of an era as beloved Mayo librarian retires

COMMUNITY NOTES: KILTIMAGH - WESTERN PEOPLE (JUNE 23 EDITION)

For almost four decades, generations of people in Kiltimagh have known that a visit to the library meant more than simply borrowing a book. It meant a friendly greeting, a chat, a recommendation, a helping hand and, always, a warm smile from Bridie Wimsey.

Now, after 37 and a half years with Mayo County Library Service, Bridie is preparing to retire from her role as librarian at Kiltimagh Library, bringing to a close a remarkable chapter in both her own life and the life of the town she has served so faithfully.

Her official retirement date is July 8th, but her final day behind the library desk will be next Friday, June 26th.

Looking back over nearly four decades, Bridie speaks with genuine affection about a career she says she has “thoroughly enjoyed”.

“It’s been marvellous,” she told the Western People.

For many in Kiltimagh, Bridie and the library have become almost inseparable. Children who first came through the doors holding their parents’ hands now return with children of their own. Students who spent afternoons studying at library tables are now adults building careers and raising families.

The library itself has changed enormously since Bridie first began her career in December 1988. Her first posting was in Ballyhaunis, where she spent several months before moving to Kiltimagh to take over from librarian Mrs Dempsey. Back then, libraries were very different places.

“There were no computers,” Bridie recalled. “Everything was done using cards. Every book had a little card and everything was recorded manually.”

Library membership carried a small fee, books could be borrowed for two weeks, and late returns resulted in fines. Today, membership is free, borrowers can take home up to 12 books for three weeks, and digital borrowing has opened a whole new world of reading opportunities.

During her years in Kiltimagh, Bridie witnessed the transition from card indexes to computer systems, from physical catalogues to online databases, and from shelves of books alone to a modern library service offering eBooks, internet access, study facilities and community programmes. The arrival of computers marked one of the biggest changes.

“We all had to learn,” she said. “We did courses and training. The systems changed several times over the years.”

Today, services such as BorrowBox allow people to access books online, something Bridie says has become increasingly popular, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Before Covid, people weren’t using it as much. Since then it has really taken off.”

Yet despite all the technological changes, Bridie believes the heart of the library has remained the same.

“It’s about people,” she said.

That commitment to people is perhaps what has made Bridie such a cherished figure in Kiltimagh. Those who know her describe her as gentle, patient, kind and endlessly generous with her time. She has always understood that libraries are about more than books. They are places where people connect, learn, seek help, find company and discover new interests. One of the greatest joys of her work has been helping children develop a love of reading.

“The highlight is dealing with the children,” she said. “I love when the classes come down.”

Her connection with young people stretches back even further than her library career. Before taking up her full-time library role, Bridie worked as a playgroup leader, meaning many of the families she later served in the library were already familiar faces. Over the years, those relationships deepened.

“When you meet people on the street, there’s always a big hello from all directions,” she said.

That affection reflects the countless interactions Bridie has shared with library users over the decades. Perhaps her greatest satisfaction came from finding the perfect book for a reader.

“When somebody has been waiting for a book and you finally get it for them, seeing their face light up is one of the best feelings.”

A lifelong reader herself, Bridie has always been passionate about books. Detective fiction is her favourite genre, with authors such as James Patterson, David Baldacci, Lisa Gardner and J.D. Robb among her favourites.

“I like escapism,” she admits.

Her enthusiasm for reading often helped guide library users towards books they might otherwise never have discovered.

Throughout her career, she has seen reading habits evolve. Physical borrowing has declined somewhat, particularly among teenagers, but she believes people are still reading.

“The hardest group to get are teenagers,” she said. “But they all come back as adults.”

Meanwhile, young families are making increasing use of the library.

“Now parents bring children from a very young age. They’re coming in with buggies and borrowing board books.”

The library has also become increasingly diverse, serving newer communities who have made Mayo their home. Bridie has helped source books in different languages and has welcomed readers from many backgrounds through the doors.

Beyond lending books, Kiltimagh Library has grown into a vibrant community space. Creative writing groups, book clubs, children’s programmes, visiting authors, exhibitions and study facilities have all become part of daily life. Students regularly fill the study spaces, particularly around exam time, while local groups continue to use the library as a place to gather and learn.

The history of Kiltimagh Library itself stretches back many decades. The earliest local library service was operated by the Sisters of St Louis. An official branch followed in the 1950s, while the library moved into a dedicated premises in 1972. Subsequent relocations and refurbishments helped shape the modern facility that serves the town today.

Bridie has worked in several locations. She began in the small premises opposite the church, where one of her earliest memories involved disaster. A delivery of brand-new books had only recently arrived when flooding damaged much of the stock.

“The rain ruined all the new books,” she recalled.

The library later moved to Main Street before finally relocating to its current premises in 2002.

Through every move, every technological advance and every change in society, Bridie remained a reassuring and familiar presence. Her dedication has also extended to her colleagues. She speaks warmly about Mayo County Council and the wider library service, praising the support she received throughout her career.

As retirement approaches, however, it is the people she will miss most.

“Oh, I will miss it,” she admitted. “I’ll probably spend a bit more time with my family. My husband Tom and our daughters, Suzie and Caroline have been a great support to me and I wouldn’t have been able to do the job without that support. And of course, the public have been marvellous. It has always been a pleasure dealing with the people of the town and the wider area, and I would like to thank them for their support and enthusiasm and their friendship, down the years.”

For someone who has spent nearly four decades helping others, retirement presents an unfamiliar prospect.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said.

While she plans to enjoy a quieter pace of life, she is already considering volunteer work, possibly in a charity shop, where she can continue meeting people and contributing to the community.

For Bridie, the most rewarding part of her career has never been the books themselves, but the relationships built around them. Many of the children who first visited her in the late 1980s now have families of their own.

“I see the kids that first started coming into me are all grown up and now their families are coming in.”

That continuity has given Bridie a unique place in the life of the town. She has quietly accompanied generations through childhood, education, parenthood and beyond, always ready with a smile, a recommendation or a welcoming word. Asked what she hopes people will remember, her answer is characteristically modest.

“I hope through my career I helped a lot of children,” she said.

Those who know Bridie would undoubtedly say she did far more than that. For 37 and a half years she helped create a library that was not simply a building filled with books, but a place of warmth, friendship and community.

As she prepares to close the chapter on a remarkable career, Kiltimagh is saying goodbye not just to a librarian, but to a much-loved figure whose kindness, generosity and gentle nature have touched countless lives.

Her retirement marks the end of an era, but the legacy she leaves behind will continue to be felt every time a child discovers a favourite book, every time a reader finds a new author, and every time someone remembers the warm welcome that always awaited them at Kiltimagh Library. For Bridie Wimsey, it was never just about books. It was always about people. And that is why she will be so fondly missed.