Lansing's favorite storyteller and librarian has retired

When Capital Area District Library’s Jean Bolley first donned the Cat in the Hat costume for a children’s storytime, she didn’t know it would become one of her favorite work outfits.

Bolley, who began working as a librarian for CADL in 1973, the same year she received a master’s degree in library science from the University of Michigan, has retired.

In a phone conversation with Bolley, who was working on New Year’s Eve, she said: “Maybe now I’ll be able to catch up on 40 years of housework.”

Bolley said she recalls her mother’s taking her as a child to the original Lansing Library, the Carnegie on Shiawassee Street. It was there she began her fondness for children’s books, which became her expertise for CADL.

“I don’t know if I ever grew up,” she said. “I always enjoyed children’s books, and I loved turning children on to reading. It was all about finding the one book that they really liked. Once you found the right book, they became dedicated readers and we’d see them again,” she said.

Over the years, she has seen a lot of changes in children’s books. “The writers and illustrators are super talented. The books moved from black and white to bright comic-book visuals and the topics are much more serious.”

“We’ve also seen a breakthrough in diversity. We’re getting there, but are not all the way there yet,” she said.

Over her career, Holley became known for her story hours. She often would include puppets, which would help bring the stories to life.

Bolley was also known for identifying, hiring and mentoring young librarians. Bolley hired many of the library system’s current staff, said Trenton Smiley, CADL marketing director.

Bolley began working for CADL as an adult services librarian, then moved to a teen librarian and finished as a children’s librarian. In 1998, she became the head librarian at CADL Foster. In 2006, she completed a master’s degree with an emphasis on storytelling and became active locally and nationally in storytelling groups.

“I like to tell folktales, especially since kids don’t know them anymore,” she said. “I’m also interested in history, and one of the first stories I told was about the Bath school disaster.”

She also likes to tell the story of what it was like to live in a lighthouse — told through the eyes of the spouse of a lighthouse keeper. The keeper was trapped for an entire winter with her children, alone, at the Passage Island Lighthouse, located in Lake Superior just off the coast of Isle Royale.

Bolley has advice for parents who want to help their children become readers.

“Parents should start as early as they can. Children love the sound of your voice, and if you’re driving use audio books,” she said.

Bolley said now that she has left, she hopes someone else takes up the storytelling mantle.

“Kids get pulled into the story and the story takes over — even for a shy person like me,” she said.

Bolley has some recommendations for parents from her years of reading: Jonathan Allen’s “I’m Not Santa;” Bill Harley’s “Dirty Joe the Pirate;” “Make Way for Ducklings,” by Robert McCloskey, and anything written by Patricia Polacco and local writer Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen

“The impact Jean has had throughout her career is immeasurable — both on CADL and the tens of thousands of children and families who were lucky enough to visit a library where she was working,” Smiley said.

While working her last day, Bolley reflected on her career and the children she was honored to read to. “I will miss them,” she said.