Bon Voyage Set for Retiring Longtime Mercer Island Children's Librarian

Margaret Martin, beloved Children's Librarian, will retire at the end of June after 15 years at the Mercer Island Library, the King County Library System announced.

According to the King County Library system, Martin will bring her talents and passion for early literacy to Cambodia, to teach in a school after retirement.

This June 30th, Mercer Island Library will say farewell to beloved Children's Librarian Margaret Martin. For 15 years, Margaret has worked enthusiastically and tirelessly as an advocate for early literacy in our community. If you've been to the Library for Story Time in the last 15 years, you know how wonderful she has been for our kids. Her "retirement" will be an active one though: she is taking her talents to Cambodia to teach a school there.  

The Library will host .

In 2011, Martin was honored with the Washington Library Association Children and Young Adult Services Visionary Award.

She has helped open libraries throughout the world.

Martin traveled to China and twice to India to help open libraries for communitinies in need. During her trip to China, she took leave-without-pay and joined another librarian, creating, stocking, cataloging, and opening the library there.

“I just really love doing story times and story telling,” Martin said in 2011. “There is so much richness in this job, which combines books and people and kids—to be able to help set up libraries throughout the world and work with teachers and schools has been a tremendous joy for me.”