Chapter in librarian’s colourful career comes to an end
Susan Roos worked at the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality for 31 years.
After 31 years as a librarian, Susan Roos bid farewell to her career at the end of the month.
She started her first job as a librarian at the Sasolburg Public Library on January 2, 1986, after she obtained a Library Science degree from the North West University (Potchefstroom University).
She worked at Sasolburg Public Library until October 1990 and then moved with her then-husband to Southport.
Roos started work at the Umtentweni Public Library on July 1, 1993.
Later, with the amalgamation of the small towns into a bigger one, she then became the senior librarian for the Port Shepstone Local Council. Later, the council amalgamated with more small towns and changed its name to Hibiscus Coast Municipality, and with the latest amalgamation, the name changed to Ray Nkonyeni Municipality.
Susan applied for the senior librarian position after the amalgamation with Port Shepstone Municipality, where she managed seven of the 14 libraries in the municipal area, as well as three mobile libraries in the rural areas.
She has worked in Hibberdene, Southport, Umtentweni, Marburg, Albersville, Merlewood and Port Shepstone libraries. When the Kwandwalane library opened, she worked there for about three months until staff were employed. She was assisted by other library staff.
Highlights of her career were the starting of holiday programmes at libraries, assistance with school projects and outreach programmes in the rural areas. The biggest outreach project was in 2017 when she went to Port Shepstone prison weekly to teach the male inmates to crochet.
The project took a year. In that year, 84 blankets were crocheted and donated to children’s homes in the rural area.
She assisted with the opening of Umtentweni Library, Kwandwalane Library as well as the newly built Port Shepstone Library.
Over the years, and due to her involvement in the South African Library Association (LIASA) to promote library services, she also wrote numerous articles about the services of the local libraries. Through her constant involvement with LIASA, she received the title of Professional Librarian.
She is currently the only librarian in RNM with this title.
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