Stonington — Youth Services Director Maris Frey has retired after 17 years working with children, teens and families at the Stonington Free Library.

“She took the children’s program to the next level,” said Kevin Bowdler, president of the library’s Board of Trustees in a statement on the library website. “She always focused on community, and how the library could bring parents and children together. She also worked with the business community to help support the children’s program.”

“Maris adapted spectacularly throughout covid by creating bedtime book readings on YouTube, and we were astounded by how many views they received. We, the Board, and the community are going to miss Maris,” he concluded.

Frey began working at the Stonington Free Library in 2006 and became the children’s librarian in the spring of 2007. Over the years, she created new programming and incorporated online platforms and new technology to the library’s youth programming in addition to organizing countless children’s activities such as visits from Pete the Cat, Fancy Nancy themed tea parties, and the library’s gingerbread house decorating program, which began almost a decade ago.

“It was a hard decision to decide to leave. It really was,” Frey said.

“If you’re there a while, you get to watch a generation of kids grow up,” she explained, adding, “It’s just a really, really nice way to live your life.”

Frey’s last day was to be Monday, but her final story time that day was derailed by this week’s snowstorm, forcing her to to leave for Delaware, where she will be a doting grandmother to a two-year-old girl.

“I don’t really think of it as retiring,” she said, adding that she will pursue a library position in Delaware.

When asked what she was most proud of during her years with the library, she said it was the summer reading program she created which has consistently seen up to 80% participation rates among the up to 600 children who register each year.

“I think it has engaged the children of the community. I had some that did it all their lives and then they became volunteers, and some of them have gone on to work at the library,” she said, adding, “I think it has proven to be a very successful program, and I’m very proud of it.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, her dedication to the children prompted her to innovate to continue the program while everything was closed.

She operated the program from her home and made twice weekly trips to the library to provide curb side pick-up services to participants, putting in long hours so children could still take part, despite the upheaval caused by the pandemic.

“I thought, we have these kids that come every single year and they love this—some of them, it’s their favorite part of the summer,” she said.

Frey also began using the library’s YouTube channel for weekly story times, bedtime story times and even chapter book read-alouds, which have been viewed by thousands of children.

Despite her achievements, the accomplishments she is most proud of are more individual in nature.

“I’ve had parents come and say that one of their children wasn’t the most avid of a reader but, whether it was a good book recommendation, or whether they were just in the right place, at the right time ...they’re much more comfortable reading,” Frey said. ”I have loved watching the children grow up. It’s been wonderful.”