Decades of dedication: Morinville Library bidding farewell to longtime staff

by Stephen Dafoe
After two decades of dedicated service to the community, Library Manager Isabelle
Cramp and Library staff member Margaret Meetsma will retire this summer, leaving a
legacy of growth, creativity, and unwavering commitment. Both women have been
instrumental in shaping the library’s welcoming environment, ensuring it remains a
cherished place for learning and connection. As they look forward to new adventures
and well-deserved relaxation, their contributions will continue inspiring staff and
patrons alike.
Cramp started her journey with the Library on Feb. 4, 2003, and Meetsma joined the
staff a day later. Their simultaneous start has created a deep bond between themselves
and the countless patrons they’ve interacted with. As they prepare for retirement, the
community will remember the joint legacy of dedication, growth, and community
spirit they brought to the Library.
Cramp is returning to her roots and family in France after 34 years away. “I’m going
back close to my hometown, which is near Germany. I have all my family there,”
Cramp said. I’ve got four sisters, two brothers, and a gazillion nephews, nieces,
grandnieces, and grandnephews.”
Like Cramp, Meetsma is sad to leave her work after 21 years. “I love my job. I get to
see so many people, and I’m going to miss a lot of people here—staff but also patron
friends,” she said. “I just had a major milestone birthday, and I’ve been having some
health issues. My body is telling me it’s time to hang it up. My husband is ten years
older than I am, so we want to do some travelling while he’s able to.”
Reflecting on her 20-plus years at the Library, Cramp sees its growth as a legacy she
leaves behind.
Although the Library is in the same location as when the two longtime employees
started, it has grown considerably in size and scope. Cramp actively participated in the
Library’s major renovation in 2012, which gave it a considerably larger footprint. But
she is perhaps most proud of expanding how staff are cared for.
“The biggest portion where I was very instrumental in staffing and how staff are being
taken care of in terms of the library being an employer and an employer that takes
care of their people,” Cramp said, noting that ensuring staff have an excellent work-
life balance has been crucial. “I think you have to recognize that you have staff that

take care of you as a customer, but those staff also have a life and family and a need
for a break. I think it’s very important to have that and to have that good balance.”
For Meetsma, the legacy she will leave behind is instilling a love of learning and
libraries with her little ones and all the crafts she has participated in with children over
the last two decades.
“It’s funny because some of them will not say a word the whole time for Story Time,
but parents say, ‘sometimes, as soon as we get out of the building, they’re singing the
songs, and we’re talking about the books we read.'”
Meetsma also has fond memories of helping adult patrons. “People know that I know
my stuff, and they’ll actually go and say, ‘Oh, can I speak to Margaret because she
knows well what I have to do?’ and stuff like that, which is very cool also.”
Cramp agrees with the joy of seeing regular patrons over the years.
“It’s been a lot of fun, too, for Margaret and I seeing people grow up because we’ve
had people come to Story Time when we first started. We knew [them] from little
tikes; they get married, have their kids, and then come back with their kids, Cramp
said. “It’s a good thing because it shows that they’ve enjoyed their library experience
so much that when having their children, they want to reproduce that again with them.
It shows me how important the Library is and how learning early literacy affects your
life.”
However, as fond as both women are of their time spent at the library, they look
forward to retirement, although they will miss many aspects of their respective jobs.
For Cramp, it is not having the responsibility of being the director and the duties of
advocating for funding and relevance.
“You constantly have to advocate for relevance, even though, for anyone who uses the
library, it’s so obvious that the libraries are relevant,” Cramp said. “It’s not obvious to
everyone. It’s that constant fight that I’m not going to miss.
“What I will miss the most is the people I work with because they’re fantastic, and I
think what I will also miss most is the community because this is a fantastic
community.”
Margaret Meetsma said she won’t miss the physical demands of her job and the toll it
has taken on her energy levels.

“I’ve had so many hats that I’ve worn here in the library, and not being able to do some
of those things [is hard],” Meetsma said, noting she loves her job and takes pride in it.
“I love working with everybody here, which is amazing to have a staff that is so gelled
together. You don’t find that very often to be in a place where everybody gets along.”
While she will miss working with fellow staff, she said she will most miss the day-to-
day helping people at the library.
“I’m not going to be leaving the library; it’s still one of my favourite places,” Meetsma
said. “It’s going to be different, but at the same time, I still will see a lot of people that
I know. I’m going to really miss it; the little ones and everything.”
The library is currently seeking a new Library Director. Cramp said she is excited for
the library to have fresh blood and ideas.
“I will keep following the library on Facebook and checking the website, and I’m sure
I’m going to see great things in the near future,” she said. “It’s a good time for fresh
blood, new ideas, and a new bunch of energy.”