By Khalida Sarwari
On the morning of May 30, a group of toddlers will gather to listen to Karen Armor present her last storytime. After more than three decades, the children’s supervising librarian at the Campbell Library is closing a chapter in her life.
“It’s a very mixed feeling,” the 60-year-old said from her home in San Jose. “I kind of reached a point where things were changing in my life. I think I have more to give to society, and I just want to try something different.”
Armor started working at the Campbell Library in 1992 and has worked at every branch in the Santa Clara County Library system over the past 35 years, with the exception of Los Altos and Saratoga. Aside from storytimes, she has provided children with homework help and assistance with library computers.
“Beyond that, and completely priceless, is that Karen has instilled a love of reading and general quest for knowledge in those she has worked with,” said Cheryl Houts, community librarian at the Campbell Library. ” In her work, she has touched the lives of endless numbers of children and their families.”
Some recent experiences are a testament to the lasting imprint that Armor has had on the lives of those she meets. While shopping at Safeway days after the Bunnies and Bonnets Parade, Armor ran into a woman who stopped and told her about her 24-year-old daughter who was home during a break from school. She said at the parade, her daughter started jumping up and down from excitement after recognizing Armor from her preschool days.
There’s another young man that Armor taught how to use a catalog to find materials and now as a sophomore at Santa Clara University, he still comes by to say hello every once in awhile.
“It’s relationships like that that makes the job so wonderful,” said Armor.
May 31 will mark the end of a memorable 35 years, where Armor saw the library transformed in the digital revolution, but it will usher in the beginning of a new one.
On the list of ways Armor plans to spend her retirement years are learning how to fly fish and relearning how to play the clarinet. More importantly, she will have more time to spend with her 95-year-old mother and nieces and nephews and be a more active member of the First Congregational Church in San Jose. She’ll also have time to devote to her hobbies, which include reading, photography, weaving and bird watching.
“I’m looking forward to it, but I’m going to miss the people that I work with and the people that come to the library,” said Armor.
Before she leaves, Armor will hold storytimes every Wednesday in May at 10:30 a.m.
Campbell children’s librarian retiring after 35 years with county library system
