Wilma Bell-James

Wilma Bell-James

PGCMLS Oral History

Interview with Wilma Bell-James about her experience as a Building and Grounds Assistant Supervisor in the library system.

PGCMLS

Special Collection Staff

Jan 7, 2024

.Mp3

English

Digital audio

200006

.wav

44.46 min

Project:  PGCMLS Oral History Project
Chapter: Wilma Bell-James
Date: Feb 07, 2024
Participants: 
Interviewer: Hannah Erickson. 
Interviewee: Wilma Bell-James  

• 00:04 Hannah: Today is February 7th, 2024. My name is Hannah Erickson, Librarian II at the Hyattsville Branch Library. I'm here with Wilma Bell-James, Building and Grounds Assistant Supervisor, and we're recording an Oral History as part of the PGCMLS Oral History Project. Wilma, thanks for being here with us today.
• 00:29 Wilma: Anytime. I love coming, you know that.
• 00:32 Hannah: Most of all, that you could, we were willing to do this interview. Were - Could you start by introducing yourself?
• 00:39 Wilma: Hello,  Miss Hannah. Good morning back to you. My name is Wilma Bell James, and I am the Assistant Supervisor of the Buildings and Grounds of 19 branches at PGCMLS Library System. 
• 00:55 Hannah:  So, could you start by telling us how did you come to work at PGCMLS? What's your origin story, as it were?
• 01:02 Wilma: I am, this is how I started to come to work here. I was going to school for computers, learning how to work on computers and everything. And while I was there, we were also being trained, doing resumes and looking for a job also. And came across the Hyattsville Library. They was having, what do you call it? Fair job fair. They were having a job fair. So, I took it upon myself to come to the job fair.
• 01:38 Hannah: That was, that's my current library. So, you know, of course, that makes me happy to hear that that was the start for you as well. So, I started with, you came here by way of a job fair. Can you tell us your career path at PGCMLS? What positions have you held?
• 02:00 Wilma: Oh, wow. It started as a, I started as a Building and Grounds person. Oxon Hill was, Oxon Hill Library was my building.
• 02:11 Hannah: It's a great branch.
• 02:13 Wilma: I went from the building into a vehicle, and then I was driving around to all 19 branches. And after that, I went into Logistics. Where I became the first woman to ever drive and deliver. That was, if I can go back just a little bit. 2016 is when I started working for the library system. 2018, I started working with Logistics. I went to the logistics department. And that's why I became the first woman to ever drive and deliver for the whole PG, Prince George's County Memorial Library System. 2020, I came out of Logistics. And now I am what I am now, Assistant Supervisor for Building and Grounds.
• 03:05 Hannah: I have to go back to what you said about you were the first woman to ever drive a delivery vehicle. I had no idea that that was the case. That is incredible. No, that's, that's, that's wild. What a milestone.
• 03:19 Wilma: And it was, I didn't know myself. Once I got with, under James King, he was my supervisor in Logistics in that department. And I was working there for a good while before I found out I was the first woman to ever drive and deliver. Any of the, any of the trucks, the North, South, the specials, because you got two vehicles. You got the North regular and the North special and the South special and the South regular. And I enjoyed it.
• 03:53 Hannah: And that was in 2018 that you.
• 03:54  Wilma: And that was in 2018. And I did that for two years before my boss now Mr. Clinton asked me to come back to Building and Grounds. But, as a supervisor, and I held that position up to today. And I've been here January to 10th this year, maybe eight years from here at the library.
• 04:19 Hannah: So coming up on a decade.
• 04:21  Wilma: Yes.
• 04:24 Hannah: So you've seen, I mean, you with, you've gone from Building Grounds, Logistics, driving around back to Building and Grounds as in your new supervisory role. Well, not new, I know you've been in it for a bit now. So you've seen, you really seen a little bit of everything in the system, it sounds like.
• 04:41  Wilma: I’ve seen a little bit of everything. How things had went from bad to worse. When I, when I mean by that far as cleaning the buildings, the buildings were terrible when I started. And as I gradually got learning, gradually started learning how things work and everything with the library system. And the department that I was in. I'm just so glad that I don't, I'm still here to help out. I found out that there were two, there was another young lady, her name was, she was at Fairmount Heights. Maddie.
• 05:31 Hannah: Oh, I remember Maddie. I used to work with her at South Bowie back, oh gosh, about 10 years now. I think she's, she's retired, I believe.
• 05:38  Wilma: Miss Maddie and myself. They, they would take, they look at us as the best cleaners that the whole library system had.
• 05:47 Hannah: Oh yeah, Maddie was meticulous.
• 05:50  Wilma: Yeah, meticulous. And I am just like that. And I'm just glad to know that I can play a part in helping the building stay clean. When I was in Oxon Hill there was, like I said, I've seen a lot of changes and I never knew that someone spoke highly about me and it was a patron. I've been coming here for 40 years and I've never seen the building, this look, this immaculate and the staff were more pleasant than they were before when I step into and took over Oxon Hill.
• 06:34 Hannah: That's a wonderful compliment. I think that, unfortunately, I feel like all the important work that like folks that work in building & grounds as this often, it often goes unnoticed. I mean, it's crucial because like, I think people notice when things aren't getting done, but when things are going swimmingly often people just sort of, oh, well, the buildings are in good repair or things functioning, everything's clean and efficient and people sort of just swim in it like the water that exists. But so it must have, they must have really noticed a great sea change to have made note of, oh, this building is, this building is beautiful, this building is sparkling and to have taken the time to share that.
• 07:19 Wilma: Do you remember Michelle Hamiel?
• 07:20 Hannah: Yes.
• 07:20 Wilma: She told me one day, I walked into her office and her and Michael Gannon was sitting there. And Michael, I know he's going to probably see this one day, but it's nothing bad. They were sitting there and I just wanted to get the trash. She's like, Wilma, I'm upset with you. What did I do, Michelle? And she says, you left Oxon Hill. I said, not on my own personal recog, I said, I was taking out of the building and she was like, you was taken out of the building. I said, yeah, but I can't. She took you out of the building. I said, I can't call a name, but I can point. Mr. Gannon was sitting right there. I said, well, don't you point at me. And I said, well, sir, I was told you took me out of Oxon Hill, you know, because I made a big, I'm trying to think of the word, with change, you know, from unpleasant to pleasant. And I stood there every day at that front door and I welcomed everyone from that little ones to the oldest one. And I stayed at that door until the last person came through it.
• 08:43 Hannah: That does sound, that does sound on brand for you. I think anyone who has known you for any length of  time can see you doing that.
• 08:50  Wilma: That message that this young lady wrote about me, she said, and she would stand there and she would speak to every person that walked in that door, even though they didn't speak back, she still spoke. And then when they were leaving, have a nice day and glad you enjoyed yourself at the library.
• 09:16 Hannah: Well, I think everyone I've ever spoke with has mentioned that you're a person who spreads sunshine so I can completely see you doing that.
• 09:24  Wilma: Yes. It was really nice. I love it. And I'm glad that I'm still here. I'm glad that I'm able to make a change, you know, and make it a better place for our patrons that come. And you ain't gonna believe me when I tell you this, but when I'm cleaning our libraries, I clean it like it's my home. And I know I got family or company coming over, you know, and that's how I look at it. And that's how I like to keep my buildings up.
• 09:54 Hannah: I love that. And I'm trying to remember where I've, where I've read this, where I read or heard this, but there was some training I took a while back that said that one of the, you know, if you're thinking about ways to improve public libraries, because, you know, librarians have to take a lot of trainings to keep up our continuing education. And I remember reading or listening to some training that was saying, how can you make your libraries more welcoming, make people who come to it feel like they matter more. And they said, you know, do things like pay attention to like, things that maybe seem like they wouldn't be important, like how clean and accessible and welcoming do things like the bathrooms feel because things like that really matter. They make people feel like someone's caring, someone's caring for their needs. And like, I know that's not quite where you were saying, but I think like you see when you see care put into things like that, like the building has a sense of being cared for like it's your home, like it's a place that matters. I think that comes through and people feel that and they feel like that space is for them.
• 10:55  Wilma: And also, not only that, Miss Hannah, when they walk through these doors, some people are expecting to smell library books. But when they come through and once they get in here, they smell like it's an office. Like it's a pleasant place to be. And it's comfortable. And they say how clean it is. Most people will help keep it clean once they walk through those doors.
• 11:22 Hannah: That's, that's a really good point. It feels like, yeah, it feels like a place that's in good, yeah.
• 11:28  Wilma: It's warm and you can, and not only that, you're comfortable, you know, other than the place to learn to read, to get knowledge, to learn things from. You still want, want a clean environment and a comfortable environment to do that.
• 11:48 Hannah: Yeah, it feels like a shared resource for everyone, a clean, comfortable place where you can learn and exist.
• 11:55 Wilma: It's like, oh wow, just beautiful. You know, you want to hear that. Yeah. You want to see them smiles on their faces when they walk through their door.
• 12:04 Hannah: Yeah, like this is a place that belongs to all of us.
• 12:06 Wilma: Yes.
• 12:07 Hannah: Let's keep it nice.
• 12:08  Wilma: Yes. I love it. My husband always tell me I care a lot. I probably do, but it's instilled in me. And I love what I do. I love what I do Hannah. And it's just so funny that I don't know how to stop doing what I do. I don't know how to be still or take a break. Because I feel like I'm going to miss something or something I didn't get done or, you know, call me a wildling.
• 12:44 Hannah: I know that feeling. It feels like life's so busy sometimes.
• 12:51 Wilma: Yeah. I'm going to have to chain you down to that chair.
• 12:57 Hannah: He probably just wants you to relax every now and then.
• 13:00 Wilma: That's weird. And I try to. And I'm gone.
• 13:06 Hannah: You're a force of nature.
• 13:09 Wilma: Yes. And I thank my parents for that. They instilled that in me. I've been working since I was eight or nine years old. My dad was the supervisor of the Bell Atlantic. You remember that telephone company?
• 13:24 Hannah: Oh, yeah.
• 13:25 Wilma: He was the night supervisor.
• 13:27 Hannah: Oh, wow.
• 13:28 Wilma: And so whenever we got on daddy's nerves. Whenever we got on daddy's nerves. He would say, I mean, mommy's nerves. I'm sorry. Daddy was like, let's go. Y’all  going to work with me. And this is why I love so much of what I do. If I ever leave here or if I ever leave here or I would start my own cleaning business. That's what I would love to do.
• 14:05 Hannah: I could see you making that, making that succeed in a heartbeat. I could see you doing that too. I'm sure you could see it whenever you say you're mine too. I feel like my next question, you've already partially answered this, but maybe there's more you wanted to expound on. Could you tell us what it means for you to work in a public library?
• 14:27 Wilma: What it means for me to work in a public library is to see the faces, the smiles on everybody's face when they walk through that door. And you know that I could say my team got it where it's always clean. It's nice and comfortable for our patrons when they walk through that door. And you don't have to worry about coming in and getting sick because everything is nice and clean. And it's just good to see people, you know, and meet different people and faces and knowing that we can help them with whatever they're coming in for. You know, and uh.  Just people, period. I'm a people person. Just to see their faces when they come through that door and they're like, wow. You know.
• 15:35 Hannah: It's definitely a good place to meet people where they are.
• 15:40 Wilma: And you can meet a lot of, because I'm a people person, so you meet a lot of different people. You know, the library means to me, it's a lot of experience, learning, developmental. A place where you can come, seek resources, help, get into, like, little programs. It's helpful, you know, keep our kids off the streets. You know what I mean? That's what it means to me.
• 16:28 Hannah: In your opinion, and as a member of the facilities team, what do you think makes the PGCMLS libraries stand out over other libraries in the region?
• 16:40 Wilma: When we all come together as one, and we work together, and we keep everything together and just be there for one another. And the, all the activities that we have, I think PG County does a lot of activities, you know, going out into the community and stuff like that. Yeah, and I think that'll make us stand out. That makes us stand out from different libraries. And the buildings, our buildings are beautiful. Bladensburg, Hyattsville, Laurel, the New Baden, Surratts, ohh you have to check out Surratts
• 17:30 Hannah: I have not been to Surratts. I can't wait to see Surratts. What is it? What are Surratts like?
• 17:38  Wilma: Oh, see when you walk in here, they got these lights, different kind of lights. At first I thought I was walking to a club.
• 17:45 Hannah: Oh really? Does it look like a disco?
• 17:48 Wilma: And I was like, okay, I was excited. I was like a little kid in a candy store and I was like, oh, I love these lights. Oh my God, they're red, green, blue. And then the ceiling tiles look like puzzles.
• 18:03 Hannah: Oh cool.
• 18:05 Wilma: And then some of the wall looks like puzzles as you're walking through it and everything. And it's just a whole different atmosphere from what it was before. Really, really light, light, airy, you know, it ain't that darkness, you know, like this is dull. But when you walk in here, it's like, oh, all these lights.
• 18:34 Hannah: So at least, although poor Surratts has been closed so long for their renovation, at least we'll have a lovely building to come back to when it opens. Yes.
• 18:47 Wilma Why has it been so long? 
• 18:48 Hannah: That is a very good question. Poor Surratts, may it open soon.
• 18:53 Wilma: I want to see what. I want to get down there. And I didn't know where you've been in Bladensburg?
• 18:58 Hannah: Yes, I have been to Bladensburg. It is gorgeous.
• 19:04 Wilma: Beautiful.
• 19:05 Hannah: And that the glass sort of mosaic thing on the wall, like the different blues and greens. I think it's lovely. Yes.
• 19:12 Wilma: And the fireplace. I have been inside and outside. Beautiful.
• 19:16 Hannah: I just like the nautical theme in general. I think it's very cool.
• 19:20 Wilma: Yes, it is really nice. That's what I love about my library. This thing from other libraries is the structure and the shapes and the sizes and just everything in the inside. Like you got trees, you got like here, we got three little pigs and where is the wall, the yellow brick road, you know. And we got the, 
• 19:47: Hannah: Well, I like next to the family restroom in the kids area, we have that wall that looks like candy. It looks like Skittles. This is very silly, but that wall makes me happy to look at.
• 19:59 Wilma: And that's what makes us stand out, up different and just stand out and different from other libraries. The shapes and sizes of our libraries and what we have in store. Oh, don't forget Laurel.
• 20:12 Hannah: Oh, we can't forget Laurel. 
• 20:13 Wilma They got dinosaurs

• 20:14 Hannah: What's the name of that dinosaur? Is it Chompy? I can't remember.
• 20:18 Wilma:  I don't even remember. I never knew it had a name
• 20:21 Hannah: I might be wrong. I might be making that up. Don't quote me on that. I'll have to check with the Laurel staff. But it, but their dinosaur or whatever the name is very cool.
• 20:28 Wilma: They've got the volcano.
• 20:29 Hannah: That's true. They have the volcano and they have their water feature.
• 20:31 Wilma: Yes.
• 20:32 Hannah: That's a nice space.
• 20:35  Wilma: That's what separates our libraries from others is the structure and the design.
• 20:45 Hannah: That's a good answer. Switching, switching topics a bit then. What is the most challenging aspect to working in library facilities?
• 20:59  Wilma: Sybils. I call my staff Sybils because I have 20-something people up under me.
• 21:04 Hannah: Oh my goodness. That's a lot of people.
• 21:06 Wilma: The challenging thing is the different personalities. So you remember the movie Sybil? 
• 21:12 Hannah: No, I don't know this movie.
• 21:13 Wilma: You don’t know about this movie?
• 21:14 Hannah: No.
• 21:15 Wilma: Sybil had all these different personalities. One minute. One minute. Hi Hannah. Different names and different personalities for each one of her. Gee I say Sybil.
• 21:31 Hannah: So you don't know who you're dealing with at any given moment?
• 21:33 Wilma: Oh my gosh. And the thing is I love it because it gives, it challenges me. On how to talk and comprehend to that person versus that person over there or that person over there. Because everybody has their own demeanor about themselves.
• 21:58 Hannah: Right.
• 21:59 Wilma: So that's the challenge for me.
• 22:02 Hannah: Yeah.
• 22:03  Wilma: Dealing with different personalities and being, what is that word? I'm going to say respectful of every different one when I'm sitting down having conversations with them and getting to know them.
• 22:21 Hannah: Yeah. No, that seems like the difficult magic of being a supervisor.
• 22:26 Wilma: Yes.
• 22:27 Hannah: That's not easy.
• 22:31 Wilma: And then not only with my, my staff, you know, some challenges, you know, when I, I would like to do things. And I know it's going to be effective. But it doesn't go through. So that gets set back on the back burner. Back at the channel, you know.
• 22:53 Hannah: Best laid plans.
• 22:54  Wilma: When I first started as a supervisor. You can take this out if you want. But I made a schedule that says focus of the week. And every week it was a different focus. And every week, because it was a different focus, the libraries was getting cleaner and cleaner. Every day. Focus for the week. Vacuum every day. Focus for the week. Almost floors mopped and cleaned, the main floor focus for the week. The whole building dusted down for the day focus for the week.
• 23:36 Hannah: I like that strategy.
• 27:37 Wilma: Oh, it worked.
• 27:38 Hannah: It seems very efficient.
• 27:39 Wilma It got snatched from me
• 23:42 Hannah: Oh, alas.
• 23:43  Wilma: What the crazy thing is, just because it ain't on paper, it's in my phone. Because I'm still doing it. But it's not focused on the week just, it's what I need you to do.
• 23:53 Hannah: It's still there even if it's not on paper.
• 23:58 Wilma: Exactly. So I figured out how to get it right over there. And to still get my buildings like they need to be. You know, just like this building right here. It needs three bodies in here.
• 24:08 Hannah: Yeah, this is a big, this is a huge building in here.
• 24:10 Wilma: This is the biggest branch.
• 24:13 Hannah: Is it the biggest? Just in square footage? Even - I would have thought South Bowie was bigger, but maybe I'm wrong.
• 24:18 Wilma: It's not. South Bowie It's just long.
• 24:21 Hannah: Okay, it just looks bigger.
• 24:23 Wilma: It looks like a shopping center - that’s what it reminds me of.
• 24:24: Hannah It does look like a shopping center 
• 24:25 Wilma: When you go to the mall or something. I said, well, this ain't the mall, this is the library
• 24:31 Hannah: No wonder I'm tired when I have walked the whole building at closing.
• 24:34 Wilma: Because. Now that they with Bowie, they added walls and structure in there. It's, it's, it's more like it's not really a one person building anymore.
• 24:46 Hannah: No.
• 24:47 Wilma: And these two bodies in there too. And my, my goal is to try to get a third person in here for Hyattsville. The buildings that I feel like that are like Greenbelt. They, they need a second body. I feel all big buildings should have two people.
• 25:05 Hannah: Yeah, I agree. I mean
• 25:06 Wilma: I mean, if you take all of it, I'm still the, you know what I mean?
• 25:11 Hannah: Yeah. I mean, because you can have a, person can be extremely industrious and efficient. And they're still just one person. And when you have square footage…
• 25:19 Wilma: Right. I mean, I want to burn you out, not burn you up, but burn you, you know, burn you out when I can still have another body coming in there. So that's when my float team come in. And my float team takes some of that weight off of you. So if I say Hannah, I got the float team coming in, the vacuum, everything I expect for you to focus on something else.
• 25:41 Hannah: I imagine that raises the overall standards. 
• 25:44 Wilma: Yeah. 
• 25:45 Hannah: Like you said, doesn't burn people out.
• 25:47  Wilma: It don't burn them out.
• 25:48 Hannah: That way it just seems like a win-win.
• 25:52 Wilma: Situation, right. And everybody's comfortable and doing all this well. If you want to take off, I still got somebody in there to hold it down until you get back. You know.
• 26:03 Hannah: Yeah. This, I feel like maybe your Logistics background is, is helping you there. Or, I don't know. Maybe you just have a good way of, a good way of thinking about things inherently.
• 26:11 Wilma: Oh girl. I love it. If I can think of anything that's positive and that's going to be helpful for our library systems and our buildings that I oversee, I'm going to try to apply it. It's just, when I try to apply it, I'm just hoping that the ones that's above me, like my supervisor, my supervisor, my super, supervisor. I'm going to try to apply it. I'm just hoping that the ones that's above me, like my supervisor, my super supervisor, supervisor, you know, would have my back on certain things. You know what I mean? My thing is all good. But if I think about them, what I want to do is all good, especially when it comes to the cleaning itself, the libraries. Just like, you guys don't know that I already got somebody doing the, the basement. I mean, the garage, I don't really say the basement, the garage here. Y'all don't see this person, but he comes in, do the garage and he leaves.
• 27:04 Hannah: I had no idea.
• 27:05 Wilma: So, so my two people here to focus up here.
• 27:11 Hannah: I did not know that. I will, I will keep that in mind. That is good to know.
• 27:16  Wilma: I got somebody in the garage every day. They don't have to come down here and do that because they got enough up here to do it.
• 27:22 Hannah: Respect for the process and the planning.
• 27:25  Wilma: It's me, baby. It's me. I told you I’m always work and try to work something out because like I said, I know it's three people should be in this building. So, to try to alleviate the work and spread it out. That's what I'm going to do. So, they don't have to worry about doing the garage. It's already taken care of.
• 27:42 Hannah: Cause it is almost like another floor.
• 27:43 Wilma: Yeah. In a way other floor. Yeah. The glass, the trash can, and then people come in the garage, they clean the cars out, they leave the trash on the floor and all that stuff.
• 27:55 Hannah: People ask us all the time. They're like, do you have a second floor? And I say, well, No, but there is the garage. Yes. Cause. Yeah. It's not the library, but it is the library.
• 28:06  Wilma: Exactly. Yeah. So, I snuck a third person in.
• 28:10 Hannah: Mum's the word. What do you most enjoy about your job and the facilities department?
• 28:20  Wilma: Oh, Helping. Helping everyone. I love that my, my staff loves working with me. I love that they look up to me. You know what I mean? They respect everything that I do because they know that whatever I do is all for the best. It's all good. It's nothing negative. I just love being around my librarian family. I don't know all your names. Hello, sister. Hello, brother. Hi family. Hey family, I've been here. I love leaving my notes for you guys, might’ve some. Hey, family. I found this in you know, and the thing just go for that and Lost & Found. um, just knowing that I know that everybody has been like just knowing that, that everybody is always smiling when I'm around them. And, just knowing that I played a part in the cleanliness, the happiness, you know, within the library system.
• 29:42 Hannah: That's a profound answer.
• 29:46  Wilma: You know, like, you know, like I said, I just, I just love all, I’m a people person. I love it. Just being around people, just knowing that I made a difference. And that's what I love about it, that I made a difference. And I can keep on making that difference as long as they allow me to. Yeah.
• 30:10 Hannah: If someone is interested in working in the Facilities department, um, what would you say to encourage them to start a career in, uh, CSF or, uh, I should, I guess I should spell out the abbreviation, Central Services Facility?
• 30:26 Wilma: Give that to me one more time.
• 30:28 Hannah: Oh, uh, if someone is interested in working in the Facilities Department, what would you say to encourage them to start a career in CSF?
• 30:36 Wilma: Make it your own once you get in. Make it your own. Put your name out there. You know, and then once you, once you make it your own, you can, you can move around after your, your, um, probation is up. You make it through your probation. You make it your own. And once that, once you do that, you, you are free to go in any department and learn from any department and grow from any department. Because I don't expect you to stay up under me. I want you to get out there. I want you to grow, get the feel of everything, learn everything. You know, because I believe the library system is a, is a big part of the community. Um, I think it takes a big part in people with lives when they're looking for jobs and stuff. And I just want that person to grow. I want them to grow. I don't want them to stay up under me, but learn from me, learn from me because I'm going to teach you the right way. And if you decide you want to say, you know what, I want to go try Logistics or I want to go try Central Maintenance. Oh, I want to try Circulation, but I want to try to be a Librarian III or II or I. I said, you go for it. You make that name for yourself. You make that name for yourself. You make that name for yourself.
• 32:03 Hannah: I think I, if I can fill a little in what you said, because I, I think that's, I think we have a system that people do move around and try different things and learn and grow and see what fits for them. I think that's…something
• 32:22 Wilma: I always, I always stress that even when I'm doing my interviews and, you know, I mean, you know, because I, and within the interview, you know, my boss, we say, yeah, Wilma, she came a long way and she said, I say she started as a Building & Grounds that she became the first woman to ever drive and deliver because she went to another department and got to fill it out. There's always, there's always a chance to do that um, um, a chance to learn and grow. And that's what I would say.
• 32:59 Hannah: I'm telling you, I'm like mentally writing down like this timeline,like 2018, Wilma Bell-James, first woman to drive and deliver a truck for PGCMLS. I'm, I'm, this blows my mind that.
• 33:13 Wilma: I didn't even know.
• 33:14 Hannah: Yeah. It seems like, it seems like we should have had someone before because 2018 is but that's, that's,that's you and I would, that I wanna, I want to record that in the, you know, in the PGCMLS history book that needs to be written.
• 33:29 Wilma: It's supposed to be there. At least that's what I was told. That's what I was told. When Miss Aisher started, that's the first time I got a certificate for, for being the first woman. 
• 33:43 Hannah: Oh, she gave you a certificate. Oh, that's wonderful.
• 33:45 Wilma: When she came in, I think, who was that before?
• 33:51 Hannah: Uh, the,
• 33:52 Wilma: It was a guy.
• 33:52 Hannah: It was Jeff Naftal was the HR director before Aishar. 
• 33:56 Wilma: He knew too, but I didn't get a certificate.
• 34:01 Hannah: I, I, I might ask if I could take a picture of your certificate for the Prince George's Room history. If you don't mind.
• 34:08 Wilma: No, I don't mind. I'll bring it.
• 34:09 Hannah: I’d love to record that for our, our, you know, our system history. I’m working on a project.
• 34:15 Wilma: I got you. Yeah. I'll bring your copy.
• 34:18 Hannah: That's, that's wonderful. I'm glad she gave you a certificate. That’s, y’know
• 34:21 Wilma: That's, you know, first as soon as I got that, I made a copy and gave it, put it in the frame for my mom and dad.
• 34:25 Hannah: Oh, that's, that's wonderful. Bet they loved that.
• 34:27 Wilma: Yes, they did. Yes. God rest Daddy’s soul. But I'll do that. I'll bring you.
• 34:35 Hannah: Thank you. That's, I really appreciate it. I did not. I'm this, I'm blown
• 34:41 Wilma: You come to Appreciation Night like, oh, I didn't even tell you.
• 34:44 Hannah: No, I didn't. I'm, I'm, I didn't know that that's what that's a wonderful to hear.
• 34:47 Wilma: That was 2023, I made Employee of the Year and Employee Unit of the Year.
• 35:55 Hannah: Yes. I wasn't able to come to the night, but I was one of the, I think all of us, a good number of us were talking about, we all have to nominate Wilma. So I, I threw in a little note saying how, you know, we did sort of a group nomination. I threw in a little note saying how much you deserve it.So I was,
• 35:14 Wilma: Are you in that list that I got? Cause they gave me, it was like different things that everybody said.
• 35:20 Hannah: I, I definitely wrote something. So mine's probably in there somewhere. I don't know if I signed it cause it was like a group document, but yes, there's, there was something in there that I wrote for you. So yeah. So I was through,I couldn't go to your,to that year, that ceremony, but I was glad to hear that you won it.
• 35:40 Wilma: So would you like a copy of those too?  No. Oh, you just do it with the employer that's on it all.
• 35:45 Hannah: Whatever, whatever you feel like sharing or just, I'm just documenting in PGCMLS history, whatever you feel comfortable sharing.
• 35:54 Wilma: I'll bring that certificate for you to make a copy of, for you to keep.
• 35:58 Hannah: Thank you. That's real -That's really kind.
• 35:59  Wilma: I mean, you can make a copy for that too, but also from your sister to my sister, my sister, you keep a copy.
• 36:06 Hannah: That's really kind. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Can you tell us about a special memory or anecdote of your work in the Facilities department?
• 36:18 Wilma: Special memories. I got so many. Special memory. Special memory. The kids were playing in the bathroom. And I went to go see what they were doing. I did not notice baby's foot was under the door, the bathroom door. Her foot was literally caught on the floor. And I stuck my head in. I said, oh my gosh. I said, baby, I said, I told the other little child, I said, you hold her because I'm going to have to move this door to get in, to get in, to literally get her foot free. And she screamed, but I got in there real quick. I did it real quick and got in there. So what I literally had to do was take her foot out of her shoe and her poor little foot was swollen. 
• 37:19 Hannah: Oh, poor kid. 
• 37:20 Wilma:  As she was crying, I said, it's going to be all right, baby. We good now. I said, it's going to be all right. Let's go find out who, you know, you went with your parent or whatever. Because like I said, it was in the bathroom planning. I carried her out here. I just felt like a little hero, you know, current. And I got her to the person who they were with and I explained to them that they were in the bathroom playing but her foot got caught in the door. Another one. I'll share one moment with you. It was a page that was in love with our security guard, but she didn't know how to tell them. So I was like, okay, I'll help y'all. So I made a love connection with PGCMLS on my left. Oh, really? You know, they got married and they stood together.
• 38:13 Hannah: What?
• 38:13 Wilma: And they came down to the library asking for me.
• 38:16 Hannah: No.
• 38:17 Wilma: Because they didn't know I had, they had took me out to the building and I never went back far as, you know, go to their building.
• 38:25 Hannah: They got married?
• 38:26 Wilma: They got married. I made a love connection.
• 38:29 Hannah: You, you, you made a match.
• 38:32  Wilma: Cause she was scared to talk to him. I went and I did it for her. And, and he was like, I've been checking her out too. I was like, see?
• 38:40 Hannah: They're both too shy to start a conversation.
• 38:43  Wilma: Yes. And, and one day I went down and they happened to be there and they said, we've been looking for you. And I said, well, they, I'm not in the building anymore. I'm, I'm going to all different builders then. But we just want to let you know that we had. And then I was like,
• 39:00 Hannah: That is bananas. I love that.
• 39:02 Wilma: So there you go. I made a love connection at Prince George’s County Libraries 
• 39:07 Hannah: Saving babies, making marriages, other duties as assigned.
• 39:15 Wilma: That’s my specialty that I did
• 39:17 Hannah: I was not expecting that. That is amazing. You're going to have to put that on your resume. Love matches.
• 39:34  Wilma: And that was so funny because I wasn't expecting that. I just thought they would date or whatever.
• 39:42 Hannah: Maybe go out for a couple of dates. I mean, you never know.
• 39:44  Wilma: And they are two peas in a pod.
• 39:47 Hannah: That is such a sweet story.
• 39:49 Wilma: I love connection. I did it.
• 39:55 Hannah: Next time you go down there, they're going to be like, here's our child. We named her after you.
• 40:02 Wilma: Oh my God. Now that would be something.
• 40:08 Hannah: Can you with a word or a short sentence describe, describe the PGCMLS libraries?
• 40:15 Wilma: Public.  I was like, you know, I did this last night. Public.
• 40:26 Hannah: It’s kind of a tough one.
• 40:27 Wilma: Yeah. Because I broke it down in the workers. The patrons. The giant buildings.
• 40:36 Hannah: Oh, you did like a whole thing. Like an acronym. I’m impressed. 
• 40:37 Wilma: Community. See, the memorial of all the buildings and what they have inside and what they have inside, the laughter and lots of smiles.
• 40:52: Hannah:  I love that. That is a.
• 40:54  Wilma: PGCMLS.
• 40:58 Hannah: That is perfect.
• 41:01 Wilma: You know, that wouldn't do me good. Said That Wilma..
• 41:05 Hannah: No, that is not what I'm thinking at all.
• 41:08 What are you thinking, Hannah?
• 41:10 Hannah: I'm thinking that's a charming response for that. That's excellent. Yeah, no, I love that. I'm trying to think I was to remember the word. I think if that's an acrostic, I might be having that wrong. But that's I love, I love the way you approach that. That was good.
• 41:25  Wilma: He was laughing so hard that it's not when we were going, he was like, you're good.
• 41:33 Hannah: That was a great approach. Everyone's had a different philosophy to that question and I loved yours. Last question. Is there anything that we didn't ask you about today that you wanted to share? Some relevant experience we didn't get to? Anything else you wanted to talk about?
• 41:54  Wilma: Just that I just love what I do. I take pride in what I do. I learn from the best, you know, I’m about to tear up, because I'm thinking about my dad. And I'm just thankful for meeting all you guys. Because it's like a family, a home away from home, with a new family, you know. Oh my gosh, tearing up. And I'm just thankful that I am still here and I'm making, I'm making… what is that word? Progress, success, and knowing that I have done something that's positive for all our libraries and my library family. Sorry.
• 43:00 Hannah: Oh, it's okay. That was a wonderful answer. That was very meaningful.
• 43:07  Wilma: Okay.
• 43:08 Hannah: Your dad must have been quite a guy.
• 43:12  Wilma: I get it. 
• 43:12 Hannah: Yeah.
• 43:13: Wilma: And February 14 for three years.
• 43:16 Hannah: That's when he passed. I'm so sorry for your loss.
• 43:20 Wilma: Okay, okay. He said not to cry. I said, Daddy, I'm not going to cry. I walked out the room. You know, because he was in the bedroom and I went to the room and he said, Didn't I tell you, stop crying? I said, Daddy, I'm not crying, but I was crying. He said, I'm watching you. He wasn't standing there.
• 43:43  Hannah: Got like special X-ray vision.
• 43:48 Wilma: But he instilled in me what I am today and what you see before you.
• 43:56 Hannah: Well, I mean, just speaking of someone who's worked with you not directly all the time, but I, you know, interact with you over the years, like, and speaking for my colleagues who I hear speak about you as well. We all appreciate you as a colleague and appreciate all the sunshine and hard work that you bring to everything and just really grateful that you're here and see all the hard work that you do. And it's been a real privilege to sit and speak with you today. Thank you so much for taking the time to tell your story.
• 44:28  Wilma: Thank you. You got it. And I'll get that certificate to you as soon as possible.
• 44:36 Hannah: No rush. No rush, but I'll catch you. But thank you kindly.
• 44:40 Wilma: You're welcome. You're welcome.

• 44:42 Hannah: Thank you. All right, I'm going to hit stop.

Hannah Erickson

Wilma Bell-James

Hyattsville Branch Library