Kathy George Kathy George, Children's Librarian at the Gray Public Library (Photo Beth Callaway)

Growing up in a small town in Upstate New York, Kathy and her five siblings used to take the bus into Utica to go to the library. Everyone in her family was a passionate reader. "My mom and dad read a lot," recalls Kathy. "When we'd go to my grandmother's, she'd always read to us. I remember my grandmother reading to me about the Sunbonnet Girls, and she read us Grimm's fairy tales."

Although Kathy didn't have a favorite book growing up, she enjoyed the Nancy Drew books and other similar series. "I read every Nancy Drew book I could get my hands on," she remembers.

Kathy's love for reading influenced her when she attended SUNY-Oneonta and earned a degree in secondary English. After doing her student teaching, she married Tony George and moved to Massachusetts where they both worked for the phone company. Soon after they had three children: Megan, Kate, and Daniel. "All my children are voracious readers," says Kathy.

After Kathy's children entered school in Massachusetts, she began teaching at their nursery school and acted as librarian. From there she took a job as a children's literature instructor at Quincy College. Kathy describes her job at Quincy: "If I could get through to one guy or gal and teach them a love of reading, I think you can do a lot with that."

After 23 years in Massachusetts, the George family moved to Gray in 1994. "The first thing we did was come to the library and we got cards," says Kathy. "I came to the library and not only got my kids situated but�met my two first friends here." Kathy met Liz Gill, who was working at the library, and Kathleen Wood, who was doing story hours.

Kathy told the library director she had led story hours at the library in Massachusetts, and soon she was volunteering regularly. Eventually she was hired for a part-time and then a full-time position. Kathy holds story hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. "I open them up to everybody," she explains. Kathy doesn't divide her audience by age so that parents with kids of varying ages can bring their whole family at once.

"Depending on the size [of the book] and age of my group, I read at least one picture book," explains Kathy. "I love the kids. The kids come in and sit and visit with you�. You just sit back and listen to them�. It's fun to watch kids when they get excited."

To encourage children to read, Kathy recommends letting their peers give them suggestions. "You've just got to keep trying," she says. "There's usually one book that will do it, and you just have to find that one book that will reach that child." Kathy also suggests trying non-fiction or a series.

Kathy adds, "We're always being told to challenge our children, but sometimes we can let them read �pedestrian' books.� In the summer we go to the beach and we're not reading great literature, so kids should be allowed to do that too. Eventually they will tire of it and look for something meatier."

Kathy says she loves her job because the library staff gets along so well together, and she enjoys talking with the people who come in. "This is community, and we don't have the communities we used to. I grew up with my grandparents and most of my relatives in the same town. Friends were friends forever and they didn't move away, and we don't have that anymore. So the library is community - it's family."