'It’s been a dream job': North Hampton Library director reflects on her 20-year career

NORTH HAMPTON — Long-time town library director Susan Grant is retiring, calling the decision “bittersweet.”

“I’ve loved this job; it’s been wonderful,” said Grant, whose last day is Friday, Sept 29. “It’s been a dream job. To be paid to do what you love, that’s a blessing.”

After spending 20 years of that blessing at North Hampton Public Library, that’s especially true for Grant, who loves books and the people she has served and worked with.

“I will truly miss all of the wonderful people who have supported and contributed so much to the community," Grant said.

Grant made the announcement this week on social media inviting residents to come into the library and say goodbye.

From bookstore worker to library director

Grant considers herself “a lifelong learner.”

She was born in Canada but moved to Utah with her family when she was 9. The state, she said, holds a special place in her heart.

She married before finishing her college degree at Brigham Young University, moving to Maine where she raised her children and worked part-time in a bookstore. She also managed to fit in going back to college, for she was intent on completing the education she began in Utah.

“I got my bachelor’s degree at 42 from the University of Southern Maine in 1999,” she said. “My kids were at my graduation. To have my kids see me get my degree, I still get emotional thinking about how amazing that was.”

That commencement ceremony gave Grant a chance to show her children that people can achieve their dreams with hard work and determination.

She switched from the bookstore to working in the Lewiston-Auburn Public Library before her family moved farther south. After a job at the Georgetown Library in Massachusetts, Grant found herself starting her “dream job” at North Hampton Public Library in 2003.

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North Hampton Library was a ‘dream job’

Grant moved up the ranks at North Hampton Library while taking courses to get her master’s degree in library science online from Southern Connecticut State University. But when North Hampton’s 18-year veteran library director Pamela Schwotzer retired, Grant knew the town would have “big shoes to fill.”

“We looked for a new director, but nothing seemed to work out,” she said.

Not thinking she would be promoted since she was still a year away from finishing her master's, Grant decided not to apply for the position.

The Library Board of Trustees, however, surprised her by offering the director’s job to both Grant and Lorreen Keating, who was the children’s librarian at the time.

“It was great,” Grant said. “We were co-directors until I finished my master’s degree. I got that in 2008.”

Grant assisted the Library Trustees, Friends of the Library, the Library Foundation and townspeople, by providing steady leadership and new programs. She was also supportive of several attempts to build a bigger library.

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North Hampton gets a new library

According to Library Trustee Jacqueline Brandt, Grant was “stalwart” in her duties.

“I think she was invaluable,” Brandt said. “She was an out-of-the-box library director. She took on anything we asked her to do.”

One of those tasks was getting a new library built in town.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Town Meeting voters in 2020 approved a $2.75 million bond for the project. Those funds were added to money already raised, including a $50,000 contribution from the Fuller Foundation, to construct the roughly $4 million new library.

Fuller Foundation Trustee John Bottomley said the $50,000 contribution was only the second time it contributed that large a sum in its history. He said it was a symbol of the long-standing relationship the foundation has with the North Hampton community and its library, he said.

According to Bottomley, the Fuller Foundation Trustees admired Grant’s “quiet leadership,” and ability to take a small-town library to a higher level. Despite some turbulent times during the long process of getting the new library built, he said, Grant focused on her job, delivering new programs and services to residents.

The new 11,000-square-foot North Hampton Public Library and Cultural Center opened its doors in 2021.

“North Hampton citizens are grateful to her,” he said, “and wish her well in her future endeavors.”

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What’s next for Susan Grant

As for what’s in store for Grant once she leaves, she plans to retire to Utah, where she grew up and still has family. And she isn’t waiting long to do it. She will be heading out on Saturday.

Grant said she’ll take with her wonderful memories of her years in North Hampton.

“The best thing about this job has been the people in this town,” Grant said. “Being a librarian is more than just a job. It’s all about serving the people and giving them what they need and want, and I don’t mean just books.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: North Hampton Library Director Susan Grant retires after 20 years