Reception planned for Kathleen Kilby's retirement

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Kathleen Kilby

KEARNS — Kathleen Kilby, who has been the librarian and technology coordinator at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School for more than 22 years, will retire at the end of the school year. Kilby has been instrumental in creating lifelong learners, successful users of technology, and because of her belief that each child is unique, she has empowered all students to grow emotionally and intellectually in a safe and loving environment, according to school officials.

Kilby’s vision started in a small library above the gym with minimal resources. Her dream became a reality when the library addition was built, and she has expanded the book selection to more than 8,000 books, ensuring the library is the core learning center of the school.

During her career, Kilby has always been an inspirational educator. She has used this to help create a “real library” for the students of St. Francis Xavier. As evidence of her desire to inspire, she graced the wall of the library with a quote that perfectly defines her outlook: “God gives us dreams a size too big so that we can grow into them.”  – Author Unknown

Aside from sharing her passion and inspiration, Kilby leaves a legacy of creating numerous reading programs and brought technology to the library and classrooms, along with automating the library system. She started the school’s popular Bagels and Books, Family Reading Night, kept the tradition of Read Across America active in the school, sharing her love of Dr. Seuss and his legacy, and has become the RenWeb guru for St Francis Xavier.

Through all of this, her most gratifying moments have been when students have come to her and asked for help finding a good book. She has been incredibly proud of each student who makes the Reader’s Wall of Fame, the 90% Club, or becomes a Reading Rockstar. She announces each student’s name and recognizes each of them individually for their effort and triumph. Kilby has been able to work in her dream job and has encouraged all students to “follow their heart and do what makes them happy.”

Kilby is looking forward to retiring and spending as much time as possible with her loving children and family, especially her beloved grandchildren, who mean the world to her.  

The school will hold a celebratory retirement reception honoring Kilby on Saturday, May 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the library at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, 4501 West 5215 South, Kearns.

Courtesy of St. Francis Xavier Catholic School