MOORPARK : Librarian Says Farewell to Job After 12 Years

Friends and co-workers bid adieu to retiring Moorpark head librarian Mary Crockford on Thursday.

Crockford, 63, who has worked for the Ventura County Library Services Agency for 12 years, took the helm of the Moorpark Library in 1985. She will be replaced by the acting head librarian in Port Hueneme, Sara Ellinwood, who starts work Monday.

“Actually, I’m looking forward to retiring,” Crockford said. “It has been wonderful. I had a great staff and a lot of friends, but the last year has been stressful.”

Crockford had to cut back to half time after the county sliced a large portion of the libraries’ budget last year. The cutbacks coincide with an effort to expand the library and accommodate the growing number of patrons. Since Crockford took control of the library, the city’s population has grown from 7,000 to more than 27,000.

“Even though the library has been busier, I had to cut my hours in half,” she said.

In the spring, the county pledged to pay $260,000 to expand the facility. The city has pledged another $65,000 for the effort, but library boosters had to resort to a telethon to raise the additional $60,000 to $80,000 they needed for the effort. The expansion is scheduled to begin some time before the end of the year.

Local officials said that the financial crisis would have been difficult for anyone to handle.

“I think it’s been very confounding for her,” Moorpark Mayor Paul Lawrason said. “She’s been wonderful at it though.”

Over the summer, the library is open just 20 hours a week, weekday afternoons and Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays. Local officials have said that despite the increase needed for library services in Moorpark, future cutbacks are still possible.

Crockford said Thursday that she is still dedicated to helping the library, if she can, as it tries to stave off more cuts.

“I’m not leaving town,” she said. “I still plan on being active in the Friends of the Library. It’s important to me.”