If you are looking for Mary Lou Wells, you’ll probably find her donned in a blue apron, pushing around a book truck, and working in the fiction stacks. The casual observer may not recognize that Mary Lou is on site—so unobtrusive and quietly determined is her presence. But you don’t have to see her to know that she is making an impact. Fiction is kept in order largely due to her effort. She knows what authors sell, and what books are trending. She can even recommend authors in various genres. Should Mary Lou encounter a book with which she is unfamiliar, she will look it up to find its correct home.
Reading has been a life-long passion of Mary Lou’s. She shared a couple of early memories with me: one of her Mother reading her Dr. Seuss books in an overstuffed chair, and the other of Mary Lou reading to her Mom while having her hair braided. Mary Lou smiles fondly as she recounts these moments. She lived near the public library as a child, and her parents encouraged her to spend time there. Mary Lou was raised in a family culture where books were important. It’s not surprising then, that she became a librarian. “Reading is a cause we can all believe in”, she says with conviction. “Once you can read, the doors open to so many other things.”
And doors did open for Mary Lou. She had a very distinguished career as a corporate librarian. After graduating from Kent State, Mary Lou moved to Manhattan knowing there were more opportunities for librarians. She worked in New York and Connecticut before returning to Ohio. Mary Lou settled in Cincinnati and completed her career at P&G.
You may not think about librarians working for businesses, but they do. Mary Lou managed research and development collections for her employers. Her primary clients were generally scientists, so she had to stay abreast in the current technical literature in order to assist them. Prior to computer cataloging Mary Lou had to pull and photocopy articles by hand. Often she had to rely on her own recall to find what was requested.
The early lending system for articles and journals was fluid and somewhat lax, but Mary Lou worked with other librarians to address circulation concerns. As a member of the Special Libraries Association, she collaborated with other professionals to initiate the digitization of the technical journals. Mary Lou took an early retirement from P&G in 2002. “I wasn’t enjoying it as much” she tells me. She missed working with patrons.
Mary Lou finds the customer interaction she experiences at the Warehouse to be very fulfilling. She told me that she enjoys helping customers as much as she does shelving. Mary Lou is a fantastic tour-guide, and puts new and returning customers at ease with her soft words and gentle smile.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Mary Lou is one-dimensional. She is active member of her church and helps with the annual festival. She babysits her neighbor’s twin infant daughters (both of whom adore her). She enjoys wine tastings and live music. Mary Lou plays golf occasionally—claiming she’s not very good. But considering her genuine modesty, I’m willing to guess that she doesn’t need a handicap when she heads to the greens. She even plays Mah Jong with a group of other FPL volunteers. Mary Lou is one active lady.
By mid-afternoon at the Warehouse, most of the activity has died down. Volunteers have left after their shifts and the staff is starting to pack up, too. As people trickle out the door, you might think that you are the only one left in the building, but then you’ll smell Mary Lou’s trademark popcorn. Right around the corner you’ll see her in the kitchen, breaking just for a few moments, Pepsi in hand and popcorn within reach.
It’s then that it dawns on you. Some people say they love the organization, or are passionate about literacy. But Mary Lou doesn’t need to make grandiose claims. She requires no accolades for her service, and squirms ever- so- slightly when praised or thanked. Mary Lou is a bulwark of The Used Book Store at the Warehouse, and her dedication to promoting literacy is unrivaled. Her work ethic is proof of her love, and the many hours she gives to the Friends is concrete evidence.