What a Difference a Day Makes: Rosemary Gaynor on how books changed her life

As a 19-year-old secretarial student, Rosemary Gaynor couldn’t have imagined her work experience would bring her to the exact right place for her — her local Granard Library, where 41 years later she is senior library assistant. She tells Helen O’Callaghan about the central role this place of books has played in her life.

Rosmeary Gaynor, a librarian in Granard Library, is encouraging people to get lost in a good book this February as part of Ireland Reads, the national campaign led by Libraries Ireland.

I was 19, in secretarial college up at the vocational school. One day in October, Ann Donohue, who was in charge, said: “Rosemary, you’re heading for your work experience to the library downtown.”

The day came, my father dropped me at the door. I remember him saying, ‘Go in there now and do your best and don’t be slacking’.