How did you get started at Laguna?
My start at Laguna is a story in itself. I wasn’t looking for a job and had already signed a contract with the Thacher School for a third year.
Our consortium of librarians from the Santa Barbara area was meeting at Laguna Blanca School’s library in May 1977.
At the meeting, Phyllis Potts, the LBS librarian, said she was resigning and looking for a replacement.
I couldn’t get to the front office fast enough after that meeting to see if Headmaster Jack Adams was there so I could let him know of my interest in the position.
Lucky for me, Jack Adams was there, and he interviewed me on the spot and said the job was mine if I could break my contract with Thacher.
Who would have thought that a visit to Laguna would result in an impromptu interview with Jack Adams, an immediate hire, and a lifelong career of 35 years at the school.
What is your best memory from your career at Laguna?
I have three best memories from my career:
My son, Chris, was in Mrs. Franklin’s kindergarten class.  In February 1990, she escorted Chris up to the Isham Library where he proudly read me his first story from the butcher paper with the blue lines.
The story was about him and his father sailing and was that year’s Father’s Day gift! Then, in 1994, under the leadership of Mike Collins, a decision was made to consolidate the two school libraries.
After eight years of running back and forth between Basham (now the Middle School Computer Lab) and Isham Libraries, I was overjoyed at the decision to have a K-12 library under one roof.
At that time, our high school enrollment was 92 students. Two Laguna families spear headed the project to turn the library annex into the K-6 library.
We rallied all of the Lower School families to bring their red radio flyer wagons to Basham, and one shelf at a time we trekked the books across the driveway and onto the shelves of their new home. It was tight with all 13 grades, but it was so worth it!
In 2005, the library celebrated its 50th birthday.  I knew this was coming, so the previous year I worked on getting a renowned author to visit.
Avi’s visit will never be forgotten.  We made the newspaper and schools were calling for days afterward, disappointed that I hadn’t told anyone about his visit.
How have you seen the school change over the course of your career?
Brother have I seen change!  Working under eight headmasters who were constantly changing the divisions of the school, the 1990 start of the library computerization, the consolidation of the two libraries in 1994, the 2001 move of the K-4 Lower School to the Montecito campus and that same year doubling the enrollment in the freshman class to 64 of which my daughter, Whitney, was a student and 2005 grad.
The school hired a full-time Public Relations person who really put Laguna on the map, and then, there was the addition of the academic service counselors across all divisions, the building of (and later the addition to) the Merovick Gymnasium, the library WiFi cabinet with 20 laptops and the Laptops for Learning Program in 2010 starting with seventh grade.
What are some of the notable changes in the students you have seen?
The students of today seem more globally aware.  They are putting themselves out there to make a difference.  Just look at our club program for the high school—H40, Invisible Children, Books for Soldiers, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, Service for Soldiers, Cottage Kids Art Club, and Heal the Ocean.
And don’t forget about the many  food drives during the holidays, and holiday gift giving to those in need…the love and caring for humanity goes on and on.
Are there any anecdotes you could tell about your career at Laguna?
The story I love to tell most is when I was 9 months pregnant in 1983 with my son Chris and still working in the library.
The sixth graders were here, and I was at my desk checking out their library books.  All of a sudden my water broke 2 ½ weeks early (fortunately behind my desk) and the students had to quickly be ushered out of the library.
I remember Max Ruston coming over and two seniors going down to the PE department to get some towels for the clean-up.
My husband came with a change of clothes and the next day Chris was born.
I took a 9 month maternity leave and became a first-time mother, a roll I cherished.
My daughter Whitney came along in 1986, so I had two kids at Laguna Blanca School.
What was the best part of being a librarian for Laguna for 35 years?
As I’ve told everyone, when you have your own children attending school at Laguna, you take a closer look at what you do.
I was so fortunate to have been my childrens’ librarian all through their lower school years at Laguna. And did we have fun!
Just look at the photo albums!  Chris was three when I became the K-12 librarian in 1986, so I had three years to get a library program together before he started kindergarten.
How have you been changed by the Laguna community?
I knew the moment I accepted the job offer from Jack Adams that this was the place for me.
I arrived single, later married and had two children who benefited greatly from their Laguna Blanca education.
I never thought it would turn into a 35 year career, but there was no reason to leave.
This was my second home, and the Laguna community became my family, as well.
When I think of all  the students who have come and gone through the front door of my library and how my library staff and I instilled a love of reading across all grades, I can leave knowing I did the best job I could. I know that I made a difference in their lives.
What are you going to miss the most?
I will never be able to disconnect from Laguna.  When you have a 35 year history like I do and feel good about retiring, you want to come back, in a different way of course, to continue giving to an institution you are proud of being a part of.
Hopefully I can return to help with school events, substitute teaching, putting school archives in order . . . Who knows?
Ultimately, I will miss the students who have given me so much love and joy over the years.
With this year’s graduating class, I am seeing for the first time the 2nd generation leaving through my door.