The Merida English Library announced on Thursday January 17th, that her administrator, Susanna McKibben, is resigning her position in mid-February, in order to work from home and spend more time with her baby daughter, Olivia. While this is certainly sad news for MEL, it’s exciting for Susanna and wonderful for Baby Olivia.
Susanna has been an exemplary administrator, keeping MEL on track and implementing a number of terrific new programs. On her watch, Children’s Storytime has grown from two or three children to upwards of 25 children and parents on Saturdays. A volunteer is now going to start a smaller version on Wednesday afternoons. She has started and grown a Teen Night once a month and has even overseen the beginnings of a “Tween Night”. Conversaciones con Amigos has expanded to twice a week, and the Library has been hosting a number of school groups for visits.
Under Susanna’s leadership, MEL has become a resource for the both the expat and the local community. Not only does MEL participate in the One World/Two Languages program with UADY (in which students studying to be English teachers are paired up with MEL members for conversation practice and fun), but MEL now has an on-going internship program with UADY. We even have an intern from a Progreso school this semester.
As the Library collection has grown, Susanna has overseen the implementation of ResourceMate, our online cataloguing and check out system. Our newsletter has grown in content and quality, and MEL now has a tremendous social media presence with 6700 Facebook followers..
This is only a partial list of Susanna’s accomplishments. Above all, we will miss Susanna’s friendly, cheerful, calm presence. Hers is the welcoming face and hands of MEL, and she will be a hard act to follow.
Please join me in wishing Susanna the very best as she enters the next phase of her life. Don’t worry, she promises not to be a stranger at MEL, so plan on saying “hello” to Susanna and Olivia when they stop and visit. (Hint, probably on a Saturday morning!)
Greg Casini, President
Merida English Library
