Outgoing Hapnot Collegiate librarian Corinne Mathews has found a new set of eager-to-learn students.
Mathews has taken the reigns at the library for St. Thomas More College in Saskatoon, a college affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan. Mathews works as the library’s supervisor.
“I’m in charge of the 10-to-12 desk assistants that we have at the library. I oversee the general management of the library and the staff,” she said.
“It’s good. I seem to be catching on really quickly, everybody is really nice. It’s a really positive atmosphere.”
After attending the U of S, Mathews returned to her hometown and became the librarian at Hapnot 12 years ago. Over that time, Mathews transformed the school’s library from a staid room full of shelves and rows of computers to a more open space, later incorporating items like beanbag chairs.
When her time at Hapnot began, Mathews oversaw the start of renovations for the library.
“We went from a really old, computer lab-style library to the new, more modern look that it has now,” she said. “That was my first job, my big project while I was there. That was pretty exciting.”
Mathews became a known figure to more than a decade’s worth of Hapnot students, playing an integral part in the school’s dinner theatre productions and encouraging students to pursue their passions. Nearly all students
were on a first-name
basis with Mathews.
Throughout her tenure at the high school, one thing continued to make Mathews proud — seeing her former students grow and mature. Students often returned to the library to say hello to Mathews after graduating.
“I loved getting to know all the kids and seeing them grow up, from 14 to 18, seeing them change over the years. When they would come back and visit after they graduated, I really loved that,” she said.
Now that her own children have grown up — son Parker graduated from Hapnot last summer and daughter Olivia is attending the high school — the opportunity for a job in the city was too good for Mathews to pass up.
“Flin Flon was a beautiful place to raise my young kids. It’s a safe and secure feeling, but Saskatoon is not scary. It’s a new adventure. My son Parker is already here attending university and there will be lots of opportunities for [my daughter] Olivia in high school here. It should be a pretty exciting adventure for us.”
Mathews’ new position in Saskatoon started on Nov. 1. Her husband and kids, who still live in Flin Flon, plan to complete a full move to Saskatoon over the coming months.
While she said she’ll miss the students she met and the bonds she made in Flin Flon, Mathews is looking forward to making new memories at St. Thomas More.
“I’ll miss them. It really was very special for me, all the students and staff I got to work with. It was a very hard decision to leave that sense of family.”
