Shepherdstown Public Library Director Hali Taylor, right, clinks glasses with Director of Library Development Lee Ann Warner, as they look forward to passing on the leading of the library to Christy Hagety, center, earlier this month. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — On Monday, Shepherdstown resident Christy Hagerty began learning the ropes of leading the Shepherdstown Public Library (SPL), as SPL Director Hali Taylor and SPL Director of Library Development Lee Ann Warner gradually began easing into retirement.

Hagerty served as Shepherdstown Public Library’s children’s librarian for three years, up until 2018, when she took on the position of South Hagerstown High School librarian. That work experience, Hagerty said, has prepared her well for running a library.

“I certainly have some big shoes to fill! Hali has been the face of the library and the momentum that has built this new space, with so much support,” Hagerty said. “Luckily, Hali and Lee Ann are going to be sticking around for a little bit, so hopefully they’ll tell me all the secrets I need to know, which is a lot. Once I get all of that knowledge, I’ll just have them on speed dial!”

According to Taylor, Hagerty had been earmarked as Taylor’s potential successor, back when she was still the SPL children’s librarian. The decision was largely based on Hagerty’s leadership abilities and partly inspired by Taylor’s own path into the role of director 33 years ago.

“I started in ’90. I loved being a children’s librarian! Every year after the summer program, I would bake a cake and slice it into the shape of the library and would make little signs that would go on it,” Taylor said with a fond smile. “I was the children’s librarian under Honnor Dorsey. I worked under her for about three years. Then she retired, and Margaret Didden became the director. They asked me if I would consider being the director, but I said that I felt too young. About 2004, Margie said ‘You know, I’d like you to come downstairs and start learning how to do all of the director stuff — finance and things like that. So I started to learn all of that stuff.

The completion of the Shepherdstown Public Library building project last summer accomplished a longheld goal of Director Hali Taylor. Tabitha Johnston

“It just turned into me sliding into that position. When Margie left, we asked the West Virginia Library Commission if they could just hire me, without going out there and advertising everything,” Taylor said. “I moved into it, because I already knew everything.”

While Taylor has been considering retirement for a number of years, the timing of when she was ready to do so, unintentionally coincided with the one-year anniversary of the new library building’s completion.

“When Margie was still at the library, she and I were the ones who started talking about how tiny the library was and how it wasn’t serving the public,” Taylor said, mentioning the idea of retiring only after the building had been completed never even crossed her mind. “This is my life! It’s my job. I didn’t even think about it that way — it’s so weird!”

For Warner, who was hired to fundraise for the building project in 2012, retiring at this time was directly related to the library building project’s completion.

“Now is a good time to leave. I was hired to build the building, it’s done. I spent the year just making sure the library was going to survive with the new expenses. It’s under control now,” Warner said. “It’s been such a rollercoaster! I’m going to miss Hali, first and foremost, and the people.”

As the library enters a future under new leadership, Hagerty said she is especially looking forward to reconnecting with the patrons she knew as the children’s librarian there, as well as meeting new patrons at the Shepherdstown Public Library.

“I hope people are excited to see me come in,” Hagerty said. “I definitely need to take a step and see how everything’s running. Definitely want to maintain and build as we can.”