By Ariana Martinez

Those who frequent McCaskey’s libraries know the generous and amiable Mrs. Cashdollar. You can find Jaymie Cashdollar, one of our kind-hearted librarians, in the library of JP and East. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for books, studying, or just hoping to build a puzzle. She can often be found at the front desk ready to make your experience in the library a better one.  

Some may think a librarian’s life is uninteresting but as she began telling me about her love for books and the way she cares for the students and her job, I was fascinated. “I’ve had many jobs but none made me happier than this one.”

Mrs. Cashdollar has loved books since she was a little girl. When asked where she found this love she said, “My mom was an English teacher so she always had books around.” She always had books and stories in her home thanks to her mother who was able to provide them. This created a love of the written word which turned into a career. 

Through the years she has moved through different school libraries. Some may even remember her through their years of middle school at Jackson or Wheatland, as their “official librarian,” but she hadn’t become an official librarian until three years ago in 2020. Although she was a library assistant for a few years, in those years she worked in every middle school in the School District of Lancaster, including Jackson, Wheatland, Martin, Reynolds, and Lincoln. Now she works at McCaskey High School as an official librarian, going between each building, organizing and maintaining the library’s collection and resources. 

When asked why she had decided to move to McCaskey, Mrs. Cashdollar explained her love for McCaskey students and staff. “It’s the students. But not just the students…all of the people I work with are really down to earth.” 

Mrs. Cashdollar was not always a librarian. She started as a book publisher after graduating from college, before moving on to advertising, human resources and finally her dream job—a librarian. 

Most would think Mrs. Cashdollar’s favorite part of her job is the books. While this is partially true, her other favorite part of her job is the students. She told me she really enjoys “talking to all the students, especially those who like to read. I like to see what they’re reading and what they like.”

Eveluna Guerrero, a tenth-grade student at McCaskey High School,  elaborated, “I think Mrs.Cashdollar is really nice and she helps people when they need help, she’s helped me so many times and she’s also really understanding.” 

Mrs. Cashdollar is beloved among staff and students alike. Her caring personality draws people in with her ability to make any bad day into a better one. She has impacted McCaskey High School with her kind spirit, spreading positivity and knowledge.