 |
|
|
Ocracoke Library Welcomes New Staff
By SUNDAE HORN  Ocracoke
School and Community Library recently welcomed two new staff members,
Ann Borland and Ingeborg Frye. Borland is employed by Hyde County as
Ocracoke School’s librarian, while Frye is working for the
Beaufort, Hyde, and Martin Counties library system. The two
organizations work together to provide Ocracoke students and community
members with a high-quality library, and Borland and Frye will share
the responsibilities and challenges of meeting the island’s
library needs.
Former librarian Debbie Burrus wore both hats, working for the school and BHM. When she left the position this summer to work for NCCAT, Burrus recommended that the library duties be divided into two jobs. “It’s too big of a job for one person,” says Frye, “I don’t know how Debbie did it. I’m happy about sharing the responsibilities with Ann, so we can each focus on what we need to do.” Frye has been working part-time in the library since February, and says she feels fortunate to take the BHM library position. She’ll work year-round during the public hours, Monday through Friday, 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. (The library is also open to the public on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., staffed by Frances Miller.) Frye will offer the summer reading program for kids and help library patrons use the computers. Borland’s job follows Ocracoke teachers’ schedule. She’ll work 10 months of the year, on schooldays from 7:30 a.m. (beginning with morning playground duty) until 3:30 p.m. She’ll teach library skills to students from Pre-K through eighth grade. She’s responsible for the two Scholastic Book Fairs that the library hosts each year, which are important fundraisers for children’s books. Borland will be sharing books with the students, reading to each class when she meets with them. She’ll also be available to the high school students for help on research projects. Frye and Borland both come to the Ocracoke Library with years of experience in schools and teaching. Frye has lived on Ocracoke for six years and worked five of those years at the school, first as a substitute teacher and then as the English as a second language teacher. She came to Ocracoke from Ohio, where she taught sociology and interdisciplinary studies at Muskingum College. She currently works for Beaufort Community College, teaching ESL classes on Ocracoke. She plans to offer a GED course through the college later this year. Borland has long owned a house on Ocracoke. This year she and her husband, Jim, moved here permanently. She’s retired from 23 years of teaching in Ohio, where she taught first through fourth grades, reading recovery, and exceptional education. “I love children’s books,” says Borland. “It’s a passion of mine. I’m excited about this job. I love being with kids and books.” Both women look forward to their 1 1/2-hour overlap each afternoon. “We can work together, and coordinate things like ordering books,” says Frye. 
 |
|
|
|