Longtime Director of North Wales Area Library Honored as She Heads into Retirement

Dan Sokil | The Reporter•

Cole Stadler, center, and Maddie Brown move in for a close look at at illustration in the Dr. Seuss book “The Cat in the Hat” as it is read to them by

A local fixture will soon be stepping down, and local officials are celebrating her decades of devotion to the community.

North Wales and Upper Gwynedd have both recognized Jayne Blackledge, longtime director of the North Wales Area Library, as she nears the end of a distinguished career.

"Later this week, we’ll be celebrating Jayne Blackledge’s retirement from the North Wales Area Library. I’m excited to join that celebration, and I will be proclaiming March 15 as ‘Jayne Blackledge Day’ in North Wales,” said borough Mayor Neil McDevitt.

As leader of the library since the late 1990s, Blackledge has seen the library move in 2009–10 from a spot inside North Wales Elementary School to a renovated former factory on Swartley Street — supervising subsequent fixes and upgrades in and around the building — and led through the turbulent COVID era when libraries shuttered their doors and shifted to online and drive-up offerings.

She’s also overseen countless new library programs and innovations, including free classic books for newborns, new online offerings including daily story time book readings on the library’s Facebook page, courses in sign language, book drives in memory of school shooting victims, free museum passes to local destinations, a ‘Star Library’ designation as one of the best in the state, and a ‘Human Library’ program where visitors can learn from the life stories of others.

"Anyone who has visited the library, or ever heard of our library, will know Jayne has been a very huge part of our success,” said borough Manager Christine Hart.

A retirement gala in her honor will be held Friday, March 15, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the William Penn Inn in Lower Gwynedd; tickets to the gala are available online or in person at the library. In addition to the Mayoral proclamation from North Wales, the board of commissioners in Upper Gwynedd recognized Blackledge this week, as commissioners President Katherine Carter read a formal recognition proclamation saying the township was "forever grateful” for Blackledge’s 43 years of dedication.

"The library offers something for everyone, and that is thanks to Jayne’s dynamic leadership,” she said.

Commissioner Greg Moll said he fondly recalled taking his two children there often as they grew up, calling it "a magical experience.”

"I can remember my son dressed as a turtle, complete with shell backpack, to go take pictures at the library, and pull out books and read them. For a parent, when we first started going to the library, what a great resource for our community. So thank you to Jayne for everything that she’s done, for the library and for our community, and all the children and all the adults that benefit as a result,” he said.

Carter recalled when her daughter, now in her 30s, first filled out a library card application with Blackledge 20-some years ago, "and recently she called, and Jayne renewed her library card for her.”

"I said to her the other day, I said ‘She’s retiring,’ and she’s like, ‘What’s going to happen to the library?’ It’ll still be there. So just in small ways, you’ve affected my family, and we appreciate everything,” Carter said.

"My grandchildren loved coming there for the human library — they didn’t understand when I said it, they were like, ‘Really? Humans?’ But they really enjoyed it, and I know my neighbor’s four kids really enjoy the library, so we appreciate it, and thank you so much for your years of service,” she said.

And former commissioner Martha Simelaro said she thought Blackledge had been the perfect library director: a devoted and welcoming gatekeeper of learning, and leader to uncharted literary territory.

"They’re also the stewards of curiosity. They ensure that every seeker finds their direction, not only to facts, but also to wonder,” she said. "They’re also storytellers, and Jayne’s a good one, not just from books but from their own experiences. And then these stories become a part of the library’s lore.”

"These are just a few of the things that librarians do, and this is what Jayne has done so well, every day for over 40 years. So tonight we honor Jayne, who lights up our minds and our hearts, and shaped many of our literary journeys. Thank you for making our world richer, one book at a time. We’ll miss you.”

As she accepted the proclamation, Blackledge thanked the entire community for their support, and said she’s been "really lucky to spend an entire lifetime” there, including while her mother was the previous library director.

"I was raised in the North Wales library. When I was a little girl, I went there…and I volunteered from the time I was in third grade. So, wow, it is near and dear to my heart, and I think it’s near and dear to our entire community,” she said.

During that time, she’s worked to make sure the library and its programs are open to all, and is always open to suggestions and feedback from the community.

"The library is for everyone in our community, regardless of any factors. We don’t care about age, demographics, nothing matters: we’re all welcome at that library,” Blackledge said.

"And that is really a blessing in our community, to have a place where everyone feels valued and welcome. And we’re glad that we can provide that spot. The library will be in good hands, don’t worry.”

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