When Pam Forsyth first walked into the then-new St. Albert Library in 1983, her first memory is of all the room available.
From the space that far outdid the library's former location on Glenview Crescent to light-giving windows, Forsyth loved the new area that would provide the library room to grow.
"The old library was so small," said Forsyth, sitting in her second-floor office, large windows letting the midday light stream through. "We realized that we had new space and new possibilities for programming."
Now, 30 years after she started as the St. Albert library director and 40 years after she first started as a librarian, Forsyth will retire at the end of the month and leave behind the many changes that have happened in her time and let the library map out a new direction into the future.
Bookmobile
Originally from Manitoba, Forsyth graduated from the University of Toronto's library sciences program in 1970, saying she got into the program because she was an avid reader. She liked the idea of working with books, something she considers a lifelong passion. However, she admits that there are other aspects to the job she didn't realize would be part of her career.
"People get into it without realizing [reading] is not actually what you do," she said. "By the time you realize it, you're already an administrator."
After graduation, Forsyth moved to Sydney, N.S., and worked at the now Cape Breton University Library. She moved to Prince Edward Island a couple of years later to create a bookmobile service for the island.
While building the bookmobile program in Charlottetown, Forsyth said she and a handful of other librarians had to take a truck-driving course in order to drive the bookmobile around the province. She said she learned how to drive a "straight truck," a transport truck that was used for smaller cargo.
"That was a really fun job, driving that around the island to pick the places we were going to stop," said Forsyth.
In 1980, Forsyth applied for the library director's position at the St. Albert Public Library after reading about it in a library-based publication. She said she was interested in moving back west and felt that St. Albert would be a good place for her to grow her career and stay closer to family.
Too small
When she first arrived, Forsyth found a small library on Glenview Crescent in need of more space. She recalls seeing books piled on top of the stacks, on makeshift shelves on the wall and wherever books could be stored. However, she said she also came at an exciting time in the library's history — the creation of a new library that would be part of the city's multi-purpose city hall on St. Anne Street.
"The prospect of a new building was exciting," Forsyth said. "The best thing was that we had space. We moved in here and it was five times bigger."
As part of the design team for the new library, Forsyth helped arrange offices, stacks and workrooms for the 25,000-sq.-ft. space she and her team would occupy in December 1983. She admits that some elements of the original design were altered to save money on the increasingly costly project.
"The one thing that disappointed me was we were supposed to have a service elevator for bringing in shipments of books. So for cost cutting we got a dumbwaiter," said Forsyth. "It only takes 250 pounds, so we can't have a lot in there."
Another large part in her design for the new space was creating areas for studying and programming. Where the library's old space only held two study tables with several chairs around it, Forsyth now had much more space for students on both floors and rooms that allowed for separate events without disrupting patrons.
Inclusive
When teen services co-ordinator Kathleen Troppmann heard about Forsyth's retirement a couple of months ago, she couldn't believe her boss would no longer be leading her and other library staff through the paces of the day.
She remembers meeting Forsyth four months after she started work in 1999. Forsyth had just returned from a sabbatical and Troppmann wondered what her boss would be like.
"She's very inclusive," said Troppmann. "There would be something new I'd never heard of and she would tell me all about it. She doesn't believe in keeping information to herself.
"And she stands up for her staff."
Troppmann said she is planning some surprises for Forsyth's retirement, and does wish her well on her departure. However, Troppmann admits she will miss Forsyth's leadership and camaraderie in the office.
"You know that things are going to change," Troppmann said. "Change is inevitable in everyday life, but it's still hard to believe."
Outgrown
Just as she walked in 30 years ago, Forsyth is leaving the library as it reaches critical mass for space. Like the old Glenview Crescent location, Forsyth said the library is suffering for room and is no longer able to take new material without weeding out the library's current stock.
"It's been a great building, but we've just outgrown it," she said. "With 25,000 sq. ft., we're one of the smallest libraries for a city of our size."
Although Forsyth said she's unsure what to do with her life after retirement, she did say she would spend some of the summer gardening, a favourite passion of hers. She also admitted she plans to continue to visit the library, but only as a user.
However, Troppmann said the staff might still need Forsyth from time to time.
"She has an incredible memory. I'm sure we'll have to call her and ask 'Where is this?'" said Troppmann, laughing.
