Meet Your Neighbour: Linda Bexte brings smiles at the Vauxhall Public Library

Posted on November 6, 2026 by Vauxhall Advance

By Lucy Norris

If you walk in the door to the Vauxhall Public Library on a Monday, Thursday or Friday, you’ll be met by our smiling Library Manager, Linda Bexte. She began her new job in January 2026. In past years, Linda managed the Picture Butte Library for six years, then took some family/personal time off, found herself adrift, missing work. When this job came open, she came well-qualified. Besides working here, she also puts some hours in Picture Butte Library.

When asked about her job description, she calls it enjoyable work that is never finished. There is always something more to do. Besides overseeing volunteers and other staff, she carries out a variety of daily routines such as checking books in and out, ordering anything from storage cabinets to soap dispensers and of course, books. Part of her work also includes liaison with the Library Board, as well as with the treasurer to keep track of finances. 

She enjoys chatting with the patrons and assisting them to find needed resources, encouraging them to widen their interests at times or find great books at their level. She gives computer assistance, prints off material as well as explaining program information, such as the census and recently, election information and where to vote, really a “jack of all trades” position.

Much of her training has been hands-on, besides the Library Technician course from SAIT. Chinook Arch Library System gives invaluable assistance with courses to further her learning and offering tech support.

Linda describes herself as “an introverted soul with an extroverted personality”, talkative, but enjoys quiet time. She enjoys music, dancing and of course, books! Probably a good fiction or two on the go, with a non-fiction at hand. Her husband is semi-retired and they have two daughters. She has a new love in her life in the person of her grandson. Her new favourite book is “the Little Blue Truck”, mostly because she gets to read it as Grandma.

Linda grew up in a small town in southern Manitoba, the youngest of six children. In Portage la Prairie, she attended high school, where she was involved with yearbook, spirit committee and became school council president. When she was 23, she came to Alberta to visit a friend; she decided if she found a job she’d stay, otherwise she would call it a holiday. Apparently, she found a job!

I asked how she met her husband, she being from small-town Manitoba and he from small-town Alberta. They initially met at a pig wrestle, of all things. (There’s got to be a story there.) Then they met again when she was moving out as a tenant, and he was moving in. Sounds like true love!

When asked about any adventures she recalls, she recounted going to Washington, D.C. with her daughter, having the opportunity to visit museums, art galleries and seeing the premiere of the play,”Little Dancers” at the Kennedy Centre. Statue, by Edgar Degas, was on display at the National Gallery of Art to commemorate the premiere of the play. Another memorable trip was to the East Coast, where her bus broke down and took a very long time to get where she needed to be. (Another story, I’m sure!)

Her words of wisdom for us: “if you can learn to read well, you can learn to do just about anything.”

Thank you, Linda, for being our first guest on “Meet your Neighbour”.