Kitty Gale honoured as she retires from Pegamigaabo School

Submitted by
Pegamigaaboo School

Pegamigaabo School and the community of Big Grassy honored Mrs. Kitty Gale, of Rainy River, with a turkey dinner and a presentation of an Elvis Adams original painting on Monday, February 27th. Gale has retired from the school having worked there since 1981.
BEFORE THE LIBRARY
She first started working for Big Grassy Education Authority as a grade 1-4 classroom teacher. She was hired for 6 months to replace a teacher who was leaving.
There was no library in Big Grassy, so she then checked out 20-30 books from the Rainy River Public Library for her classroom.
In the meantime, Roy Tom had set the wheels in motion for Big Grassy to have a library.
Several librarians from the community were hired and then moved on, due to insufficient hours. She then made the move and submitted a proposal for part time computer teacher and part time librarian. The proposal was accepted and she continued in this position until about three years ago. At that time she decided that she should be spending more time with her husband, Don, who retired from teaching at RRHS in 2000.
THE LIBRARY
When the library first opened, the goal was to attract patrons/clients, but once they were able to provide free internet access, more people started to come to the library.
Her next goal was to promote literacy and increase circulation (in other words – book check-out). This happened, which generated the next challenge: having the books returned.
She is now happy to report that book returning is happening on a fairly regular basis.
Then she worked on bringing in more people - closer to her age – into the library. “I want them to feel comfortable using the computers and to make use of all the various services that our library has to offer,” said Gale.
Services that the library has to offer includes: access to the Big Grassy website; Service Ontario website; CAP bought the internet and computers into the library and also extended the library hours with funds for a CAP youth worker; CNIB Daisy reader; a Rainy River Public Library free borrowing agreement; and a Contact North computer/work site (thanks to Lynn I.).
Programs that run through the BG Library are as follows:
•First Nation Public Library Week
•TD Summer Reading program
•During February:
•I Love To Read Month that includes:
•FNPL Week
•2004 official launch site for FNPL Week, Book Fair
•Yearly Challenge i.e. read so many books, read for so many hours, last year “Meet Dewey” (teams kept Dewey books in order for “Dewey Fair”)
•Ice Cream party
Special projects:
•“Speaktoday.net” - $45,000 advocacy campaign
•“Our Way Forward”- A strategic plan for First Nations libraries (I sat on this committee)
•Public Library Guidelines – modified for First Nations libraries (I worked on this editorial team)
•FNPL week planning committee
•Presented at workshops at various library conferences
The people of Big Grassy and the staff at Pegamigaabo School will miss Mrs. Gale’s warm sense of humor and her dedication and commitment to her endeavours involving the library and computers.