Mary Tindall: Mayflower librarian's love of books comes full circle

With a passion for reading that spans more than eight decades, Audrey Morris brings a joie de vivre to her role as librarian-in-chief at The Mayflower retirement community as she oversees a diverse collection of nearly 1,000 items and a volunteer committee of 10.

Audrey’s love for reading began in grade school, when Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Project Administration built a library on her street in upstate New York. “I begged my older siblings to read to me, and then I picked it up on my own,” she says, which started her lifelong habit of devouring two books a week.

Later in life, after Audrey’s husband passed away and left her with seven children, that passion inspired her to earn a degree in library studies. “I was tired of the kitchen, and the kids were growing up. I wanted to get out and do something!” she says. “It took me a few years, but I was so proud on graduation day.” For the next 20 years, she managed the interlibrary loan department at the University of Buffalo.

At The Mayflower, Audrey relishes the hunt for just the right book, which she says is the best part of her job. She’s fielded some odd requests. “One man asked for a mystery, ‘the gorier the better.’ And I found him the perfect one!” She also maintains a strict categorizing system, aided by “putter backers” who follow a manual she wrote.

Current offerings include historical novels, volumes of French impressionistic art, health reference books and a “Peanuts” cartoon anthology, among others. Every month the library committee selects five new books. Recently, a group of residents created a genealogy category. Open 24/7, the library loans all items on the honor system.

After all these years, Audrey is still in love with the written word – and with her job. “This is a special place,” she says. “How many retired librarians get a library to play in?”