OAK PARK : Librarian to Be Honored at Retirement Party

Oak Park librarian Kay Desio won’t be shushing noisy patrons Monday night. They’ll be throwing her a retirement party.

The 67-year-old Desio, who is leaving the small community library where she has worked since it opened 12 years ago, will be the guest of honor at a reception given by Friends of the Oak Park Library from 7 to 9 p.m. at the library. Patrons will be asked to honor Desio by “sponsoring” children’s books that will be added to the collection.

The library sits in the middle of the Oak Park High School campus and is run jointly by the Ventura County Library Services Agency and the Oak Park Unified School District.

“Kay has been able to serve both the Ventura County library population, everyone from senior citizens to the preschoolers, in addition to the high school students who go to the school there. It’s not always easy,” said Friends president Noreen Armerding.

Desio agreed. “Sometimes the kids get to you,” she said.

“Sometimes I don’t have the patience for them.”

Desio said she tries to anticipate her customers’ preferences.

“Kay’s very aware of what many of her adult readers like to read,” Armerding said.

She also tries to read everything on the best-seller lists, although she admitted being less enthusiastic about nonfiction than fiction.

Desio, who lives five minutes from the Oak Park Library, said she still plans to work occasionally in county library branches.

And, she said, she plans to continue reading her beloved mysteries.

“I love mysteries--me and JFK,” she said, referring to another well-known buff of the genre. “I don’t expect great literature and I’m usually not disappointed.”