Many patrons of the North Valley Public Library in Stevensville will know Scharyn Way, the library’s resident “Australian” library assistant.
Scharyn (who is an American citizen) has been working at the Library for seven years but is now moving back to Australia with her husband Dusty and their dog Heidi.
Scharyn has loved her time in Montana. She says, “When I look back over my life, the seven years that I have spent living in Montana, working at the Library, with my buddies, has been the favorite part of my life so far, so I am really sorry to be leaving. However, the pull of an aging family is too strong to ignore.”
With a 5-year-old granddaughter as well as parents who have recently been diagnosed with various ailments, Scharyn feels that the time has come to return to her family.
Asked what makes working at NVPL so appealing, Scharyn says, “My coworkers are really friendly and supportive of each other. Most staff are part time and help each other out by swapping shifts and stepping up when coverage is needed. This is a great boon for semi-retired people who want some flexibility. I’ve also made many friendships with lovely people, and those friendships are maintained even after they have moved on to other roles.”
Quite a few of Scharyn’s co-workers are now in more highly paid, or prestigious positions – Daniel and Annika now work for the Bitterroot library in Hamilton, Melanie now works for the State Library. Several have now retired, moved out of state, or have moved on to further other careers.
Scharyn will continue to work at the library until closer to her travel date, so you can still expect to see her until about mid-August.
North Valley Public Library is located at 208 Main Street, Stevensville; (406)777-5061.