Much-Loved Children’s Librarian Ready to Turn the Page
If you and your children have visited our Children’s Department sometime over the last two decades, you likely have fond and vivid memories of one of our most beloved and enigmatic children’s librarians, Twyla. Always ready with a smile and a helpful reading suggestion, she has been as much a fixture of our Library and the Children’s Department as our storytimes and book selection!
But now, after 20 years at the Natrona County Library, Twyla Gaylord has decided it’s time to write the ending of her Library story. She will begin 2023 with the official title “Retiree”, and what comes next is yet to be written. Before working at the Library, Twyla spent 11 years in the school district as a substitute teacher, with a particular interest in teaching music. She originally started in the Children’s Department part-time in November of 2002 and came on board full-time after only 2 years.
Twyla has been involved in children’s programming, school visits, fostering the love of reading and literacy to thousands of children over the past two decades. One of her colleagues described her as an amazing asset to our library. They went on to say, “she is also a blast and a laugh a minute.”
Twyla is our resident musician, Mother Goose, and slime queen. She’s always up for a costume and a laugh and celebrating fun things like Talk Like a Pirate Day. She’s our go-to for training staff on how to shelve children’s materials. For years, she put together all the hallway bulletin boards and posters as well as the Buckaroo and Indian Paintbrush book award displays. In terms of keeping our department running, Twyla quietly takes care of little things most people don’t see, like refilling paper, bookmarks, bags at self-checkout, summer reading prizes, reordering workroom supplies, and so much more.
Her absence will be felt more than she’ll ever know, even though we’re excited for her next (hopefully more relaxing) adventure.
Please join us in the Crawford Room at the library on Friday, December 16th from 2-4 PM for an open house in her honor. If you’re unable to make it on that day, you have until December 31st to share a favorite memory, enjoy her awesome laugh, and wish her well.