Farewell to a much loved figure from North East Fife’s library service

Pauline Smeaton, from Cupar, recently said farewell to colleagues in OnFife as she stepped down as project support for young people and families after 44 years covering North East Fife with a mixture of sadness as she departed, but also joy at looking forward to new opportunities.

Her work with children and families had been more like a vocation than a job. Her passion for libraries and literacy came across in all her interactions with children and she was an absolute advocate for books and reading.

From Bookbug to Summer Reading Challenge, school visits to book groups, Pauline made an impact on children from a young age. It’s not unusual for her to be stopped in the street or supermarket by adults who tell her the difference she made to their lives – or for them to be coming along to sessions now with their own children!

Pauline’s career started when she was just 16 as a ‘Saturday girl’ at Cupar Library in 1981 before getting a full-time job when she finished school. She went on to become a young people’s supervisor based at St Andrews and she covered 35 schools and 10 libraries, many in rural areas.

During her career she has dressed as a hungry caterpillar, a white rabbit and a fantastic fox, to name a few. She delivered a service online during lockdowns and has been involved in her beloved Bookbug programme since it began. She has driven multiple children's authors around Fife and led schools to victory in the Big Book Brains Quiz.

She’s also been recognised for her great work. She won Citizen of the Year in Ladybank in 2019 and was named Best Arts Champion in the National Hearts for the Arts Campaign in 2020.

Last year she was nominated for a Scottish Book Trust Bookbug Hero Award 2025 and she was thrilled to receive a special recognition award just as she retired.

Mark Lambert, chief executive of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The Bookbug Hero Award celebrates the fantastic work of our Bookbug practitioners across Scotland. Without the hard work of those in libraries, early years settings and through the health service, many young children would not know the joy of sharing stories, songs and rhymes. Our thanks to Walker Books for supporting the prize and allowing us to recognise these heroes in the local community.”

Pauline said: “I have enjoyed my career with the library service and the different roles I've had over the years. I have worked alongside some amazing people, who show such passion for what they do. I personally have met and got to know so many young people and their families throughout the years and watched them grow and develop into readers. They are now coming back with their own children and I have to go before it's their grandchildren!”