Andrews – What was supposed to be the regular monthly Friends of the Andrews Public Library meeting on April 17 turned into a “work-a-versary” celebration for Jacqueline Hulse’s 25 years of employment with the library.
Former co-branch manager Kelly Bryant bragged that she had “kept it all a surprise” until about 15 minutes before the “meeting” began.
“I was here at 9 a.m. decorating the meeting room, which I knew she wouldn’t have to enter all day and I even got the cake in here without her knowing,” she said.
Hulse was helping someone bring in snacks for the Friends of the Library meeting when she stumbled upon the room outfitted with black and gold balloons.
“At first I thought, ‘Who had the meeting room booked for today?’ and ‘’Who is this all for?’ and then ‘How did they get all this past me?’ Then I knew she’d been planning this for a long while,” Hulse said.
Bryant, who has remained closely involved with the group, said, “When I realized that the meeting day coincided with her actual “work-a-versary” day I knew what I had to do. So I started planning that very minute.”
The two started within a week of one another 25 years ago and forged a bond that can only be described as they often do of “sharing our brain.” The two have been such fixtures in the library and community that they’re regularly mistaken for the other.
“Yeah. We get that a lot,” they say simultaneously, while giving each other the shrewd sideways smirks of best friends that comes only after a quarter-century of a sisterhood rooted in mutual admiration and affection.
When Bryant retired last year, Hulse was a bit begrudging at first to acclimate to the loss of her “other half” but quickly rallied with the help of her longtime part-time staff to take on the majority of roles left open until an assistant was hired, and she helped “even the Android users,” which Bryant had specialized in assisting with various phone issues when people needed troubleshooting.
Hulse makes it clear the library provides help of all kinds to its patrons and many of those who showed up for the party recalled her assistance with everything from faxing to setting up email accounts to helping them navigate forms for anything from citizenship to applying for food benefits and housing placement.
And she’s also known for her uncanny knack for remembering patrons’ personal preferences and expanding recommendations of books or movies for those willing to try new things at her behest.
“But if you don’t like it, then Kelly picked it,” she’s also quick to point out, even after Bryant’s departure.
Sentiments of thanks were also penned permanently on a poster board Bryant provided for everyone to sign and share their favorite memories.
One of those personal notes included “You were the first person I met after moving here and you immediately made me feel like family and you became that to me. So glad you’ve been here and appreciate all of your love for both myself and the community.”
When introducing Hulse to the crowd, Bryant said what a pleasure it had been to work with her and how she “admired her dedication” and “how I could never have asked for a better co-worker and friend.”
That dedication has weathered many changes over the quarter-century ranging from challenges to public libraries’ autonomy nationwide to local budget cuts and from COVID-19 shutdowns and a rotation of librarians to becoming branch co-manager herself, as she reflected, but too the years have been “blessed with seeing so many of the babies who used to come in grow up and have babies of their own who they now bring in. And so many wonderful moments shared with this community.”
When discussing their memories, attendees unanimously agreed that Hulse has shown up consistently throughout these years to demonstrate that the library is a vital hub providing a myriad of services for the entirety of not only Andrews but Cherokee County, regardless of age, class or need.
Hulse was moved to tears of the happiest variety when thanked for her service to the system by Nantahala Regional Library Director Franklin Shook and presented with a crystal plaque that read, “There are people in this world who make things better wherever they go – thank you for being one of them. Your service to the patrons and the community has not gone unnoticed.”
Hulse thanked everyone while wiping her eyes and then told everyone to dig in to the cake, which Bryant had custom-made by Homespun Hobbies that depicted a “book” and read “25 years of turning the page.”
Adorned with blue and gold roses, the cake was strawberry cream cheese and enjoyed by the group of 30, which included family members, former employees and those who’ve come to feel like family, who came to give a little back to “the lady of the stacks,” or the “Chaos Coordinator,” as one of her last year’s gift plaques reads which she cheekily keeps at her area of the desk to remind everyone who’s in charge.
When everyone echoed the hopes of Hulse having another 25 more years to share in their library visits, Hulse just grinned impishly and said, “If Bryant’s bringing cake, I’m in.”
Details: The Andrews Public Library is at 871 Main St. downtown. Visit nrlibrary.org.