Inspiring readers for the past 27 years

SEELEY LAKE – "To walk into a library and be called by name by a librarian who knows your reading interests and even remembers your dog's name – [Sue Stone] is a treasure," wrote long-time Seeley Lake Community Library patron Cathy Harrits in an email. "We'll miss Sue!"

Susan Stone has been the Missoula Public Library Seeley Lake Branch librarian since October, 1994. She is taking an early retirement starting Nov. 3. In her 27 years, Stone has watched the transition from print to digital, continued the Summer Reading Program for children, started the Seeley Lake Book Club and continued serving patrons through the pandemic. The relationships she has built and sense of community she fostered over the years has allowed her to nurture a love of literature and reading for the community and students by helping them find what they love to read.

Stone started as an English teacher at Seeley-Swan High School in 1983. From1984-1986 she taught at Swan Valley Elementary and then returned to SSHS until late fall of 1989. She took four years off when her twins were born.

Spurred by the announcement that Seeley Lake would soon lose its bookmobile, the idea for the Seeley Lake Branch Library started in 1988. The Seeley Lake Branch library opened in October, 1988 and was housed with the SSHS library.

SSHS Librarian at the time Loretta Cooper encouraged Stone to apply for the branch librarian position. Instead of returning to teaching, Stone decided to apply for the public librarian position. She worked cooperatively with Cooper who remained as the SSHS librarian.

"As an English teacher [I loved books but] you are asking students to read books and curriculum that they may not want to read so there is that battle," Stone said. "Now, I don't have a battle. The people who come in here love to read."

As the librarian, Stone helped curate book lists through reading book reviews and talking with patrons and students. She changed out collections periodically to offer a wide variety of materials.

"I get to know people so well after 27 years. I can think of particular people and say you might love this book," Stone said. "I [also] try to think about what people have asked for, what students are interested in or something they are working on in class."

Stone shared the story of a patron who loved a book she recommended. The patron recommended to her friend and the friend recommended it to several more friends.

"That is the power of a book because now we are all connected through a book," Stone said.

While Stone estimates she reads two books a month on average, some of her patrons read a book a day or one a week. She said they help her with recommendations and keep her current.

This is also true with her relationship with the high school staff. She loves talking about books and authors with the SSHS librarian and English teachers.

"It is exciting and dynamic," Stone said. "That is why this partnership works."

Stone said as the sole librarian she offered two programs, the Summer Reading Program and Book Club. Cooper started the Summer Reading Program and Stone continued it. She loved watching a caregiver nurture the love of reading in a child.

"Literacy is so important. I can see that in the education system," Stone said. "Those that learn to read and have the encouragement, that will help them through their academic careers."

Stone started a Seeley Lake Book Club in the late 2000s. She said it was second nature to her because of her teaching background. Every month, she chose a book as the center of the discussion. It was open to the general public and she loved how much she would learn about people as they discussed the book. The book club met until last spring when the pandemic started.

"It was so satisfying and gratifying when they said that they really enjoyed their book club," Stone said. "I really miss it."

Stone said the shift from a physical copy to digital has been the biggest change in 27 years. Handheld devices introduced a new level of competition with books she had not experienced before cell phones and iPads.

While it is not her personal preference, Stone learned how to navigate the digital library and read e-books so she could help her patrons. She has also relied on the students to help her learn and troubleshoot. She said people truly appreciated access to the digital library especially during the pandemic so they could download audio and ebooks.

Navigating the pandemic has been Stone's biggest challenge of her career. She changed hours and offered curbside service to help serve her patrons but missed seeing them in-person. She also missed the Book Club and sitting with families to read with their children. Through it all, she said her patrons have been supportive.

Because Seeley Lake Community Library is a branch library through Missoula Public Library, Stone said she had a lot of support from Missoula Public Library's Director Honore Bray and Assistant Director Elizabeth Jonkel including continuing education training and conferences.

"[Public] libraries are communities – they redefine and they bring in partnerships," Stone said. "Libraries try to create a place to fill a need. That is what Missoula Public Library is so good at and they have worked very hard to do that."

Bray has worked with Stone for 16 years. She appreciates her passion for her work, participation in trainings, her perspective to problem solving and her interaction with the library workers in Missoula when she comes to Missoula to exchange collections.

"People excite Sue and she spends a great amount of time searching for the right materials for the right person," wrote Bray in an email. "Sue enjoys the public library and I think she has a real connection to the high school students she sees each day. Once a teacher, always a teacher. Those determined faces always provide a challenge which Sue is up to solving. We wish her a very happy retirement from this work and know she will move on to something just as challenging."

Stones loves that she has been able to stay connected with the community and the SSHS students. When she started at SSHS she was one of the youngest staff members, now she is one of the oldest. She never thought she would watch children go through high school and now be old enough to bring their children to the library.

"I've met so many good people," Stone said. "It is nice for me to be so connected with the community in positive ways."

She appreciates the support and help she has had from volunteer Laurel Deniger, substitute librarians Pam Keller and Arleen Sawitzke, and the SSHS Librarians Cooper, Julie Robataille, Katrina Stout and Michele Holmes.

Holmes and Stout have appreciated working with Stone, her friendship and welcoming personality.

"Sue makes everyone feel like a friend as she greets patrons as they enter the door, often remembering something they discussed on their last visit or asking how they liked the book they are returning," Holmes wrote in an email. "She has a unique ability to remember what authors people enjoy and what books they love. It is this ability that makes her so good at her job as public librarian and has made the Seeley Lake community so lucky to have her connecting us with the books that we adore and expanding our literary taste with new ones to try."

"She was much more than just the librarian that stood behind the counter," wrote Stout in an email. "Sue would go out of her way to find anything someone was looking for and would have several recommendations ready for her patrons. You could just tell she enjoyed her job and genuinely cared."

Deniger wrote not only was Stone dedicated to her patrons she has become a dear personal friend and "private computer consultant."

Some of the most meaningful recognitions Stone has received are the notes and letters from community members, students and SSHS staff about how she, the library or a specific book touched them.

"It is a wonderful library community. People love this branch library," Stone said. "I think it is nice for the community to see students and interact. Students get to see community and community gets to see students."

In her retirement, Stone looks forward to reading more and having more flexibility in her schedule so she and her husband Dan can travel and backpack. She also looks forward to spending more time with her children Katelyn and Nathan that both live in Missoula.

"I feel very fortunate. This job has been a perfect fit for me and I'm glad to have been the librarian here for 27 years," Stone said. "I'm very excited to see how the library will grow with a new person. I have my strengths and this new person will have strengths that will take this library in different directions. It is time to move on and pass the torch to someone else."

Due to the continued pandemic, there will be no retirement party. However, patrons are encouraged to stop by before her last day, Nov. 3 or send a note or card to SSHS, Attn: Sue Stone, PO Box 416, Seeley Lake, MT 59868.