Meet the Library Staff - Marge Vallazza

Marge Vallazza started working as a Circulation Clerk at the Antioch Library in January 2001. Before coming to work at the Antioch Library she had been a “superpatron” both when Antioch was the main library and after when it was a branch. A superpatron is library slang for someone who tarries at the library and checks out a lot of books—in other words, just the kind of patron the library wants. While a superpatron Marge teased the Antioch staff about coming to work for the library following retirement. And in 2001, she did just that. Since then Marge has worked three and half years at the Antioch Library and another two years at the Central Library. But before becoming a member of the staff at Johnson County Library, she had another past.

Marge has always loved books and reading. She learned to read before attending school when her older sister, Lizzie, brought home her books for homework and passed on what she had learned. Since then books and libraries have been an important part of Marge’s life. One of Marge's earliest memories is going to the main library in downtown El Paso with her mother to get her first library card. Marge, who was five years old at the time, was going to be entering the first grade. At that time, parents of children who were to attend first grade were given a list of books that had to be read by the first day of school. Marge’s trip to the library led to a surprise, however. For when the library clerk looked Marge’s name up in preparation to set up a new library account, she asked Marge if she had ever had a library card before. Of course, Marge hadn’t. The clerk then told Marge that the library had eight other patrons with her exact name. In hindsight this makes sense, after all, Marge’s full name was the Spanish equivalent of "Mary Smith." Still, it had all the appearances of being a minor set back. Nevertheless, the five-year old Marge prevailed that day as her birthday distinguished her identity. She left the library, successfully, with several books and her new library card—the key to exciting armchair adventures!

However, five year old girls grow up fast and it was soon time for Marge to set off for further adventures at the university. Marge attended University of Texas, El Paso, where she studied cultural anthropology and creative writing with the thought that she would get a degree in English. Towards the end of her studies, Marge was persuaded that it would be more in her benefit, financially, to forego graduating with an English degree, so instead she finished with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology. Following graduation, Marge worked for the federal government where she played many different roles, including a writer, an editor, and a reports analyst (aka writing consultant).

Marge has a gift for language. She enjoys both writing poetry and public speaking. For Marge, her gift of language has often taken the form of public performances and, recently, recordings of those performances. Marge started writing poetry to express her thoughts and feelings about her diverse family roots. It was this family diversity that stirred Marge’s interest in genealogy, where she avidly pursues her own Anglo-Irish-Scottish and Mexican roots and what Marge calls her children's "textbook American history" roots.

In addition to her personal interests, Marge also finds her family and Christian faith to be an important part of her life. Marge and her husband, Mario, share six daughters and numerous grandchildren. They are very proud of their different accomplishments. In conclusion, Marge is excited to announce that her younger sister, Jacci, graduated with honors this May with a Master’s in Library Science.