Jan Voiles
For Pam Vogel, of Henderson Road, this has been a year for celebrating 30s: her 30th wedding anniversary, the 30th year she and her husband have lived in their home and 30 years as an employee of the Rushville Public Library.
She and her husband Jeff were married in November 1979 and started housekeeping in their present abode.
Pam had seen an advertisement in the newspaper for a librarian and Story Time person. Since she was working in two school libraries, it seemed like a job for which she should apply. She was hired April 26, 1979.
“Before that I had worked at Arlington and Manilla schools under Mick Saunders. I was a part-time at the library,” she recalled. “Mrs. Metcalfe was the librarian there and she was at Arlington the first three days and Manilla for two days. Therefore, when she was at Manilla I was at Arlington so they could keep the library open at all times. If the secretary was ill then I took secretarial duties and answered phones and stuff.”
“Before that I had worked at the (Farm Bureau) Co-op in the office. It was out there on Water Street and it was really the feed mill. I’d answer the phone and make feed tickets out,” she added.
Her official title as listed on the RPL Web site is Children’s Services Librarian, although her duties extend beyond the title. Besides Story Time and overseeing the Children’s Room, she does desk work like the inter-library loans, FAXing and Xeroxing, and helping patrons find books.
“I help whenever anybody needs help,” she said. “I just do anything pertaining to the library inside and outside too. Many times we shoveled snow and put the ice melt out.”
“I started out as desk clerk and also Story Time. That’s what they were looking for,” Vogel said.
She described Story Time, which meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Thursday afternoon, usually for a six week program.
“I always read them two to three stories because Story Time is about stories. It’s very important that I read to them each week,” she commented. Other activities include Show and Tell, finger plays, crafts, and games and refreshments for holidays and birthdays.
“Somebody may call and say ‘I have a friend or cousin, can they come?’ and I always say ‘Yes, they may come’ even if I have to hurry and print an extra coloring sheet. You’re never going to say ‘No, they can’t come to Story Time,’” she explained.
“There’s a lot of planning. We’ll start planning in August and it would start after Labor Day. I usually try to plan until Christmas and then when I have Christmas break I plan till the next one. I don’t like coming in and not knowing what I’m doing,” Vogel said. “I guess I’m sort of an organized person. I can’t stand when people leave stuff around and I have to pick it up. That’s a pet peeve of mine. There’s always a place for everything. I don’t understand why people can’t put things back where they belong. Nobody else will be able to find it. And that’s true.”
Her advice to anyone considering a career in the library field is to do it.
“I would say it’s a wonderful job. I would say that there is a lot of knowledge here. It would be a fun place to work,” she enthused. “Even if they didn’t like to read they would still find things that would be fascinating here at the library.”
The daughter of the late Talmadge and Ruth Adkins, Pam has two brothers and three sisters – Don Adkins, Judy Kuhn, Pat Reed, Janet Weber and Dean Adkins.
Jeff and Pam Vogel have one daughter, Ashleigh, who was married to Cole Ritter June 27 in Plainfield.
“It was a great weekend,” the mother of the bride exclaimed. “I would like to relive it. Give me about a month and I could do this again.”
Two pet dogs keep the Vogel nest from being empty. They are a German Shepherd named Boyd who is the outside dog and a Puggle called Millie who is the inside dog.
A 1974 Rushville Consolidated High School graduate, Pam attend grades one through eight at Arlington.
She and Jeff attend New Salem Methodist Church. She’s not involved in any social clubs since she works full-time and enjoys being home.
“I don’t like getting out at night. I’m a homebody, I like staying home,” she explained. “There’s so much to do at home. That keeps you busy.”
She likes to crochet, enjoys the sun and likes to garden although she’s hoping her little garden will be bigger next year. She still likes to read but mostly magazines and some biographies.
“I read lots of children’s books,” she acknowledged.
Jan Voiles can be contacted at jan.voiles@rushvillerepublican.com or at (765) 932-2222 ext. 107. Add a comment to this story at www.rushvillerepublican.com
