Norwin children's librarian makes learning lively

When Barbara McKee walked into the Norwin Library more than two decades ago, she didn’t expect it to be the start of a career.

“My youngest son was in second grade, and I came to the library to take a crochet class because I finally had time to myself because my kids were finally in school,” she said. “They had a sign up that they were looking for part-time help, so I applied. I wore the terrible-looking scarf that I made in my class to my interview.”

Twenty-one years and many books later, McKee, who is known as “Miss Barbara” to scores of children and parents alike, has become a mainstay of the children’s section at the Norwin Library.

The wonky scarf is gone, though she suspects it still may be in her house somewhere. Scarf or not, McKee still brings a bundle of creativity and enthusiasm daily to share with visitors, families and kids as children’s librarian.

At Storytime twice a week, in the back of the children’s section of the library building on Caruthers Lane, McKee can be found leading children ranging from kindergarteners to infants through songs, dances and stories.

“I often say I didn’t know I was looking for the library, but it was looking for me,” she said.

Working with children

On Monday, McKee starts off Storytime with a rhyme, singing with the children and instructing them to put their hands in their laps to listen to the book. As she reads, some kids crawl around on the floor, playing with toys, and others shout out the answers to questions as she explains the story.

At any given Storytime, she typically sees between 10 and 20 children attend with their families. She varies the songs and activities based on the day of the event.

“There are some songs that are Monday songs and some songs that are Wednesday songs because when they go to kindergarten, there will be set structure for them. They will sit down and sing the ABC’s, and then they will do something else,” she said. “I’m trying to get them ready to understand that that’s coming up and get them ready to be in a setting where there’s some sort of structure.”

McKee usually reads three stories in any given session, pausing for a get-up-and-move activity after the second.

“(It’s) something that gets them moving, because it’s hard for them to sit still for three stories,” she said. “I’ve had numerous people say, ‘He didn’t sit still at all, but he sang every song on the way home!’ I say, they’re listening while they’re playing. Their job is playing, that’s what they’re supposed to do.”

Sharing a love of learning

During the early months of covid quarantine, McKee recorded virtual Storytime videos from home with the help of her husband. She remembers taping the story worksheet schedule to his shirt behind the camera.

After a while, her husband pointed out something unusual — whenever she was reading to the camera, McKee was looking down at the floor.

“He said, I don’t understand why you’re looking at the floor, and I said, that’s where the kids are!” she said. “I wasn’t used to looking up there, because they are down here.”

Now back in person, Storytime sessions are always lively, and laughs and shouts often ring out across the room from the carpeted corner. McKee tries to make the library as welcoming as possible for kids who are just coming out of their shells, especially children who were growing up over the past few pandemic years.

“Some of them, you can tell right off the bat, they are willing to engage, they just don’t know how,” she said. “Others are a little more trepidatious, so you just sort of say, ‘I’m Miss Barb, it’s nice to see you, I like your purple shoes,’ little things to let them know that this is a safe space. When they come here, they can talk to me and they don’t have to whisper. We don’t whisper in this library.”

A library leader

McKee also reads at Hahntown Elementary School’s Kindness Club, and works with Norwin School District on other programs. Her first round of Storytime kids from years ago are now in college, and she recently found out one of the members of her first summer reading group is now a mom herself.

“(McKee) is a local celebrity for sure,” said Children’s Services Coordinator Melanie Mathews, who assists McKee with library programs. “It amazes me how she can know anybody’s name when they walk in. It could be years, or a bit of a time frame before seeing them (again), and she’ll know exactly who they are. She can remember the last thing that they talked about.”

Visitor Lori Branthoover of Irwin brought her 1-year-old granddaughter, Juliette Pezze, to Storytime on Monday. Branthoover used to bring her own kids to the library for Storytime when they were kids and actually knew McKee when they were in high school.

“(Juliette) loves coming — she looks forward to it,” Branthoover said.

Gabriela Caprini of Irwin brought her two kids, Isabella, 3, and Mateo, 1, to Monday’s Storytime, with Mateo wrapped up in his stroller. She’s been attending Storytimes for the past four years.

“(Isabella) always looks forward to coming to Storytime. She knows Miss Barbara, and she always tells me, ‘Are we going to Storytime, with the rocking chair?’” Caprini said. “It’s nice to have, because in the winter time, it’s so hard to do much outside, so having that is always very nice. Miss Barbara is always very welcoming, and how she reads the stories is amazing. She loves the songs — that’s one of her favorite things.”