By Steve Svetovich

When you love your work, it’s not easy to retire. Take Marguerite Garbolino Bradley of Dunmore, for example.

Marguerite, who turned 65 last month, has been the librarian at the Dunmore Elementary Center for the past 34 years. Her last day working on the job was the final school day before the Christmas break last month, but she will officially be employed by the Dunmore School District until June.

Daughter of Theresa and the late Jake Garbolino, Marguerite was born and raised in Dunmore. She graduated from Dunmore High School in 1977 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and Library Science from Marywood College in 1982.

She taught sixth grade at Saint Rose of Lima Elementary School in Carbondale for one year before teaching second grade for three years in South San Francisco, California.

She then took on the position as the Dunmore Elementary School librarian, a position she has held for over three decades.

“It was my dream job,” she said. “I always wanted to go into education and teach. “Early childhood education was a big thing and I had other family members doing that, so I went a different route, eventually becoming a librarian.

“It is the most fulfilling job ever. I love telling the kids stories and reading to them. I like making reading important to the students. With modern technology, kids are not reading as many books anymore. We went from encyclopedia to Wikipedia. Technology has changed things a lot over the years.”

Marguerite’s final day in the library was Friday, December 20. “I didn’t want to make a big thing out of it. I just told the kids I wouldn’t be back for the New Year. I decided to work until the end of the Christmas break, but will officially retire in June.

The dedicated long-time librarian has two sons of her own, Jake and John, both Scranton Prep graduates. Jake, 34, graduated from the University of Colorado. John, 31, is a Temple University graduate.

“My goal as a librarian,” she said, “was to see the students enjoy reading. I absolutely loved being with the kids.

“I especially liked Halloween. I loved decorating the library for Halloween and telling scary stories to the kids. They loved it.

“It’s very rewarding when the high school students came over to the Dunmore Elementary School building just to say hello.

“I will miss the kids and the faculty at the Dunmore Elementary Center. Many of the current teachers were my students. Now I have their kids. I taught two different generations.”

Marguerite, beloved at Dunmore, acknowledges school libraries are becoming a thing of the past.

“There is no longer a library in the high school,” she said. “With new technology, many school districts do not have libraries anymore. The Dunmore Elementary School library is one of the few left.”

The lifelong educator is going to enjoy her retirement. “I’m going to start a new chapter and see where it goes,” she said. “I plan on traveling and seeing different places and meeting new people. I never had the time before.

“It gives me some me time. It’s a gift to me. I look forward to it.”