Behind the Scenes - A Family

It takes more than just books to make a good library great.  It takes a community that cares and supports it, a strong Library Board, a group of hard-working Friends of the Library, and an outstanding and dedicated Director, librarians, and staff.   Thankfully, the Haltom City Public Library has it all. If you check out a book, read a magazine or newspaper, log on a computer, ask for information or need something researched, sign up for a class or watch a puppet show, chances are that you will end up meeting most of the library staff.   

But there may be one that you might not have met yet—Rina Aragon, the Library Administrative Secretary-- because she’s working hard behind the scenes for you and the library staff.  She’s the one who comes in early every day to open up the library, gets the mail, makes coffee, creates the fliers for the library events, orders supplies, answers the phones and correspondence, monitors the library expenditures, does the accounting, prepares monthly reports, posts the Library Board agendas and take minutes for the board meetings, manages the various grant funds, etc.   (I’m already exhausted and I haven’t gotten to the second page of the list of things she does so let’s just say she does whatever is needed to help keep the library, the librarians, and the staff functioning.)

Happy Birthday, Rina!

Today, December 7^th, is Rina’s birthday so let me introduce her to you.  Rina was born in Manila, Philippines but I won’t tell you what year (and trust me, you’ll never know to look at her that she’s over 39).  She comes from a large family with 8 brothers and 2 sisters, who all have, except for one, immigrated to the United States.  Rina has worked in a law office, been an executive secretary to the president of Consolidated Industrial Gases, Inc. the largest gas company in the Philippines, and worked for the United Nations (in Manila) before coming here.   She has been working for the Haltom City Library since 1993 and is “happily married to a wonderful man” named Leon.  

While all that Rina does, and all the experience and expertise she brings to the library and us, is important, it’s not why we love her so.  It’s because she also brings to work every day a beautiful smile and attitude.  Ask her why she has stayed with the library so long and she'll say,"... because it’s like a family.”   And she’s right.  This is what makes the Haltom City Public Library truly great.  It’s a family.

Happy reading and happy holidays from your Library Blog Mistress!