Former Crystal City School District librarian Amy Shirley knows how to get to retirement. She’s just not very good at staying there.
Shirley, 55, retired from her 25-year school gig in May and took a few brief weeks to relax before finding herself heading up the Crystal City Public Library.
She took over as that library’s director on Aug. 5.
“I guess I wasn’t really ready to retire after all,” she said.
Shirley, a 1987 Crystal City High school graduate, is steeped in Glasstown history. Her parents, the late Dick and Martha Perry, both served on the school board and were active in a variety of community activities.
After graduation, Shirley spent three years traveling and working on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, and during that time, she met her husband, Jamaican-born John Shirley.
“We were based out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and I was able to see a lot and do a lot and meet some amazing people.”
After her cruise ship stint, Shirley earned a bachelor’s degree at Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau and a master’s degree at Missouri Baptist before going to work for the Crystal City School District.
“I taught first, then went to the library for the last 18 years,” she said. “The last few years I was districtwide librarian, so I’d start the day at the high school and then, in the afternoon, go to the elementary school.”
Shirley also worked sporadically at the city library. In recent months, Tania Laughlin, who had been library director since 1996, was forced to cut back on hours due to health reasons.
It was the perfect set of circumstances for a transition to happen, Shirley said.
“Tania and I had talked before about my possibly taking over for her at some point,” Shirley said. “The board approached me over the summer. I think they liked my connection to the school; they thought it makes sense.”
Shirley will direct the library’s approximately $125,000 annual budget and head up a staff of six part-time employees. She will earn $21.89 an hour and work roughly 20-25 hours per week.
“We are separate from the city, have our own budget, our own board, just like the parks (department),” she said. “We also get money from the state, although it’s not a lot. I’m looking into some grants also.
I’m constantly reaching out to other libraries, asking questions. I don’t have the mindset that I can do this alone.”
Shirley said she appreciates her close relationship with the Festus library and its director, Elizabeth Steffens.
“She’s been kind enough to share specific information about how they do things, and she gets back to me right away,” Shirley said. “The people here in Crystal are very patient, too. They have been very uplifting, very supportive and positive.”
Building the future
Shirley said a number of changes are on the horizon.
“The board did a survey last spring, wanting to see what patrons were looking for, what could be improved,” she said. “More books and programming were the big things people wanted.
“People come in and say, ‘Gee, I haven’t been in here in 20 years and it hasn’t changed a bit!’ and I don’t know how I feel about that. Going to other libraries, seeing how creative and interactive and dynamic and evolving these places have become, makes me want to do the same here.”
Shirley said the COVID-19 pandemic forced lifestyle changes that could help make libraries a bigger factor in family life.
“COVID meant people doing things at home,” she said. “Reading, playing games, doing crafts and projects and just doing things together more. I think that was a good thing to come out of (the pandemic).”
She said it is important to her to keep the library’s small-town feel while updating it for future needs.
“A lot of patrons who come regularly are 50 and up,” she said. “They’re probably what has kept the library afloat, to be honest.”
Shirley said longtime library assistant Marilyn Parr is invaluable when it comes to maintaining that hometown feel.
“She knows so much about what has gone on in this town,” Shirley said. “Someone comes in and wants to know about things from long ago, and I say, ‘Let’s go ask Marilyn.’ She does so many things, such personal touches — I don’t want to change that.
“I would love to get more young families in. I would like to increase circulation, bring in more things – but not at the expense of that small-town feel.”
Shirley said she is excited about improvement projects at the library, like the recent update to the landscaping in front of the building.
“We want to do some window painting, and I hope to seal the parking lot,” she said.
Shirley is adding new programs gradually, such as story times, scavenger hunts and a pumpkin-decorating contest.
“We’re going to do a gingerbread house decorating at the holidays,” she said. “And I’d like to do some safety things, like having (the Joachim-Plattin Ambulance District) come and talk about how to use a defibrillator, for example.”
A book sale is planned for November, and the library hosts guitar and ukelele lessons on Tuesdays.
“We have kids come down from the high school in the afternoons to do homework, do research, play chess, even just socialize,” she said. “I’d love to add more clubs, like a Lego club, manga club, other events.
“I’ve talked with the new (Crystal City School District) librarian (Amie Grothoff) about getting the kids over here more. The more I can collaborate with the school, the better.”
Shirley said she and her staff are always seeking ways to get the word out about library resources.
“We are working on our website and Facebook page, just staying on top of those,” she said. “We have flyers we hand out, and I had a table at Open House at the school.
“I want to make this a place for people not to just check out a book and leave, but to stay, read, have a cup of coffee. I want people to know that we’re open to hearing about what kinds of things they’re interested in and we are here to meet their needs. I want this place to be busy all the time, to be a hub for the community.”
Shirley said she’s settling in and working to forge a new path for the library while honoring its past.
“Tania has been here a long time, and I’ve tried to be mindful of that,” she said. “But. I’m excited to see what I can make of this place. It has so much potential,” Shirley said.