Milanof-Schock Library (MSL) invites the community to Miss Jan's Retirement Party and End-of-Summer Bash on Saturday, Aug. 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Miss Jan will have her last story time at the library at 12:15 p.m. Other activities on Aug. 16 will include music by Nick DiSanto One-Man Band and The String Sisters; balloon creations by Balunguy; face painting and temporary tattoos; yard games and a bubble machine; food trucks, including Spud Muffin and Mountain Mug Coffee; and Maggie Bird and Friend Alan.

Jan Betty, a.k.a. Miss Jan, began her library story times as a volunteer in the 1990s, when the library was in an old store front on Main Street. She took on the role as the director of children and youth in 1999, shortly after the library moved to its current location on Anderson Ferry Road. She did not have a library background, graduating from Penn State with degrees in theater performance and musical vocal performance, making her the perfect person to educate and entertain children.

A big part of Jan's work at the library included outreach. She worked with Donegal High School (DHS) Key Club and the Donegal Junior High School Builders Club. She has had story times at the Donegal Kindergarten Center, Donegal Primary School, Kraybill Mennonite School, the East Donegal Township building, in the old First National Bank building in Marietta, Kinderhook Early Learning Center and a variety of nursery schools that have since closed.

In 2010, Jan organized the national "Read for the Record" early literacy campaign at a local level by teaming up with DHS teachers to have various high school students read to the younger children in other district buildings.

She was the library representative at the annual town Winterfests and at school district open houses, and she wrote a new skit every year to promote the library's Summer Reading Program, which she performed with the teachers.

For many years, Miss Jan donned makeup and a cat suit to become The Cat in the Hat at the library's annual "Green Eggs & Ham" breakfast. She was the beloved "Senorita Juanita" to her homeschool Spanish groups, and she was a master at doing videos on the fly, known to the library's social media manager as "One-Take Jan."

Never afraid of being silly, Jan loved throwing on a crazy hat, colorful feather boa or fun outfit for her programs, and she was even open to getting a pie in the face at a library benefit auction. Her creativity and love of the library was also on display every year during the Mount Joy Memorial Day parades, and her decorated floats often won a prize.

In 2018, Jan received the Service Award for outstanding service to her public library with exemplified excellence in serving the community's library. She was presented the award by MSL's former director, Barbara Basile.

During COVID, when the library was closed and then temporarily ceased in-person programs, Miss Jan continued to provide narrated stories, smoothie recipes and STEM projects on social media for families, teens and even some adults. The highlight of that time was when she read "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type" to a field of cows at Brubaker Farms; she also enjoyed reading the story "Kitten Red Yellow Blue" to the cats at Columbia Animal Shelter. Both videos can be found at http://www.youtube.com.

Jan also serves as director of two children's choirs at First United Methodist in Lancaster, where she also sings in the adult choir and occasionally substitutes as that group's director. For many years she has taught kids martial arts at Raise28 Youth Center and is a black belt in karate herself. She is also a member of the Norlanco-Rheems Kiwanis Club.

Jan plans to spend more time with her family and dog Mags, as well as do some traveling.

Visit http://www.mslibrary.org for information about the upcoming celebration, other events and all library services. Patrons may also follow the library on Facebook and Instagram.