Library assistant retires after 14 years

Fourteen years has past since Cate Bird took on the role of library assistant at the Thomas Raddall Library in Liverpool and as her day of retirement approaches, she takes a walk down memory lane plus makes plans for her free time.

“I love books and I really enjoy the service element of library work,” said Bird, “It’s just a really special kind of job I think.”

Bird spent 12 years as a stay at home mother before going to work at the library. “I left the library to work at the Liverpool Regional High School, then spent six years at the Astor Theatre as co-manager with my former husband John,” said Bird.

Before 1986 the Astor Theatre did not have live entertainment.

“So we started bringing in live entertainment and the first act we brought in was Rita McNeil,” said Bird.

“When I first started (at the library) it was just running the branch, but once we automated a lot of things changed,” she said about the library.

“The move to the new library (in 2002) was very significant, doubling our collection and giving us a program room,” she commented.

Soon she had time to invest in programs such as the libraries well known Passion Series and Seniors Café.

Both programs have been running for five years or more.

Bird started the Passion Series while Winifred McCarthy started the Senior’s Café, which bird took over when McCarthy retired.

“The great thing for me is that I get to hear everybody,” she commented.

When asked what her favorite passion series talk or seniors café was, she replied with the most popular.

“Molly Titus has done two passion talks and one café and there’s been 30 people here every time,” she stated. “Her mother lived in India when she was a bride of 20 and she wrote back letters to her family.”

Bird also took care of the libraries monthly art displays.

Set to retire on June 28, “I have a long list of things that I haven’t had time to do,” she said.

“Genealogy is one,” she added.

She also wants to continue a project she started years ago, researching the history of the Astor Theatre.

Bird has three children and two grandchildren.