To say Kath Morris is pleased to become the new director of the Public Library of Catasauqua is a bit of an understatement. Enthralled, honored and motivated would be more appropriate words to describe her feelings on the undertaking of this leadership.

Although she has held this title since only May 1, Morris has worked at the library, located at Third and Bridge streets, off and on for many years.

“I came here (United States) on holiday in 1973 and met my husband, and we’ve been backwards and forwards ever since,” Morris said.

Morris was born in England, but her husband is from Allentown.

In England, Morris attended Middlesex University in Barnet, Hertfordshire. She holds a Bachelor of Education Honours. After this, Morris began teaching in England.

The couple decided to live in Catasauqua for a year in 2002 before moving back to England. In 2011, the couple made a permanent trip back to the United States, and Morris, once again, found a position at the Catasauqua library as a library assistant.

There was a period when she stopped working at the library and became a substitute teacher for Allentown School District, Morris said, to be able to get her grandchildren off the bus from school.

Morris said for this position, she will be attaining a library tech certificate from Northampton Community College. This certificate requires reading and studying for assignments to pass the course. Morris is confident in getting this certificate since Sandra Arden, the previous library director, told her she already knows the material.

Arden announced her retirement on the library’s Facebook page and said she was thankful for the memories she has gained from being library director for six years.

“She (Arden) turned this library right around,” Morris said. “If she hadn’t done that, I don’t know that I would be able to have taken this job on because she’s taught me an awful lot over the years that I’ve been in and out of here. She’s a lovely person and very helpful. She encouraged me to apply for the job.”

Morris emphasized the people she works with at the library collaborate well together.

“I work with a really good team, and our goal is to increase our presence in the community,” Morris said. “We would like to have some senior programing in the afternoon - just some fun activities. We’re brainstorming all sorts of ideas. There will be crafts because then we can package them up, and people can take them away if we can’t open for people to come in person. We’d like to start up a teen advisory committee. They can add service hours if they come into the library to help.

“It will be good to increase our visibility in the area,” Morris added.

When asked what Morris likes the most about working at a library, she said it is being with the library’s employees and patrons.

“It’s meeting with people,” Morris said. “I really like working with the team we have here. Kathy’s been here a long time, and Amy’s been here [for over a year]. We have the same goals in mind, I suppose, so that’s really good. I really like meeting new people and encouraging them to come to the library, and I like seeing our regular patrons and furthering them the best we can.”

Both Kathy and Amy are library assistants.

On the opposite end, one challenge working at a library and being a director, Morris said, is having a limited budget. The team has many goals, desires, needs, etc., but must often hold off on a project due to funding concerns.

Thankfully, material and monetary donations help alleviate this dilemma. The library recently received donations for shelving and seats in the children’s area, which Morris said looks really nice. The library also hopes to make a teen area with seating so that students can come to the library to work on their laptops, study or hang out.

“I’ve been associated with the library for such a long time, and I watched Sandra (Arden) transform this library to the place that it is now. It’s clean and really nice in here,” Morris said. “And I feel like if we can get people to come in and see where we are and what we’re doing, then that would be great.

“I led a team when I was teaching, and I enjoyed it. I enjoy not bossing people around,” Morris said with a laugh, “but directing the library where it could go and grow.”

Looking ahead, Morris said the library team is looking forward to the next few months and the 2021 summer reading program - “for tots to teens!” Morris said. Crafts, books and prizes are ready to go - for either grab-and-go or in person, depending on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and regulations.

“We have to adhere to the [Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines and Gov. (Tom) Wolf’s recommendations,” Morris said.

Morris added the books that go with the crafts may also be read on Zoom. Morris has been talking with other libraries to see how they make their summer reading programs a success.

She hopes they will be able to meet in person because foot traffic increases circulation numbers, “but also if we can get it online that would be a fair way to introduce the books that we have,” Morris added.

Morris said the library board will be meeting soon to decide if making an appointment to visit the library will still be needed. Currently, the library is open 2-7:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday each week. Call 610-264-4151 to make an appointment.

To stay up to date on the library’s protocols and happenings, visit catasauquapl.org or the Facebook page.