By Laurie Lechlitner
InkFreeNews
MENTONE — “I was always in the summer reading program at the library when I was growing up,” stated Cathy Whetstone, Mentone. “I grew up in a family who loved to teach new and interesting things in a sneaky, educational way. When I was in high school, I worked in the school library for two years. When I got to college, I begged for a job in the library. I guess working with books is a way of life for me.” Whetstone is the cataloger and circulation head at Bell Memorial Library in Mentone.
Whetstone got her teaching degree from Grace College, Winona Lake. She got her master’s degree in school library and audio-visual sciences from Purdue.
“I started out working at the Tell City Troy Township schools. As a librarian, I got to know all the students in grades one through eight. I also taught a seventh-grade English class. There was a set of identical twins in different classes. For the longest time, I thought they were the same kid. I eventually got it straight.” She then worked for three years in the Kewanna school district.
Whetstone started at Bell Memorial Library when her youngest child was 8.
“I was a stay-at-home mom for a while before I went back to work,” she said. “I started working in circulation. Since I’d taken a cataloging class at Purdue, when the head librarian retired, I moved to cataloger. I took on more job responsibility as my kids got older.”
She starts her day checking in books and keeping track of the overdue list. “I’m no computer genius, but I function well enough to see that things get done. It’s funny, two of my sons have computer jobs. The other two are in nursing and the USDA.”
Whetstone loves interacting with folks in the community. “I’ve lived in Mentone practically my entire life. People will stop in and ask me if I remember so and so. They also come to me with their genealogy questions.”
As a 1970 graduate of Mentone High School, Whetstone is a senior citizen and enjoys seeing her peers come to the library. “Many of the seniors enjoy reading good, clean publications. Often seniors prefer holding books rather than reading them on an electronic device. We also have large print books. The only drawback is that they are heavier than the regular print publications. We also have audio books. Reading library books sharpens the mind. There’s also a once-a-month Monday movie for seniors, complete with popcorn. Those who like to knit or crochet can join the Needle Nerds.”
Whetstone has met author Wanda Brunstetter several times in person. “We had a meal at a local Amish house with an author at each table. Jennifer Beckstrand sat at my table. Her Huckleberry Hill series features an Amish grandmother who is a horrible cook, contrary to the norm.”
Cathy and her husband, Tim, have four grown sons and three grandchildren. Whetstone enjoys reading in her free time. She and Tim love to travel, especially when visiting family and friends in Alaska.
