But after 23 years as Blossom Hill Elementary School's librarian, Lucas and her high heels are stepping down to enter into retirement.

On any given day of the school year, the quiet, cozy library is filled with students checking out books or huddled around Lucas listening to her intonations when reading from imaginative books like Old Black Witch and Cranberry Summer. Her love of books is infectious.

"She does cool voices with the characters," said 7-year-old Theophile Cantelobre. "And I get to check out books, which is cool."

First-grade teacher Dwight Martin said Lucas is one of a kind.

"I've been at Blossom Hill 19 years, and she's been the librarian all 19 years. She always spends time helping the students find books and encouraging reading," he said.

Lucas assists the students in establishing a love for reading by appealing to their interests in literature, Martin said. She also coordinates appropriate books in the library with class curriculum and reads to every class at the school once a week individually. As a result, the students look forward to coming to the library, whether it's for story hour or just a lunchtime visit. Lucas always keeps the library open during the lunch hour as a haven for children from the weather, a place to rest or a place to journey with a book into a distant land. Martin described his co-worker and friend as pleasant, cooperative, gentle and soft-spoken.

"She's going to be impossible to replace. They'll never find another Fran," Martin said.

Lucas said she's constantly researching and trying to keep current on ordering new and award-winning books for children. She's arranged the library into sections of biographies, nonfiction, easy fiction picture books, fiction chapter books, paperbacks and holiday books. In the library, eating isn't permitted and neither is too much noise.

"Beyond Fran's professional skills, I think we would all agree that equally important are Fran's people skills," said Blossom Hill Principal Charlotte Basinger. "Her warmth and calmness have drawn a legion of parents into a very effective corps of faithful library volunteers. Her flexibility is legendary, since she works in a room that is highly used. She is always gracious in scheduling for the expected and unexpected needs of the library."

The library is used for voting, Home and School Club meetings, testings, conferences, Spanish classes, book fairs and more. With Blossom Hill scheduled to undergo renovations and modernizations in the future, as well as acquiring a new principal, Karen Miller, in the fall, Lucas said the time was right for her to retire.

"I'll miss the kids, and I'll miss reading to them," Lucas said. "You take it personally."

Lucas started her teaching career at Washington Elementary School in San Jose, where she worked for seven years teaching fifth grade. She took a break to raise her three children—now ages 38, 41 and 42—and when the children were old enough, Lucas applied for and accepted the librarian position. Lucas said she and her husband, Jack, who have lived in Monte Sereno for 38 years, don't have any fixed plans for their retirement together. But Lucas said short trips, reading, gardening, entertaining and spending time with family, including two grandchildren, are on her list of things to do.

Lucas has survived five principals, many new teachers and students who still come back long after they've graduated from Blossom Hill to remind Lucas of their favorite children's books. Lucas said one difference between when she first started in the library and now is that children are reading at a much earlier age.

"She's a dying breed," said longtime third-grade teacher Karen Kath. "Not only is she a librarian, but she's a credentialed teacher. To her, it's not a part time job."

Over the years, Lucas has updated the library with a computer check-out system that she's still learning to use, Kath said, but there's also a card catalog. The library walls are adorned with Jack's hand-drawn pictures of animals and funny expressions. Lucas has changed just about everything from when she first took over the library. She lowered the picture books to a level youngsters can reach and has updated the library collection thanks to the California Public School Library Act of 1998, which granted about $13,000 to Blossom Hill.

"I spent it so fast you couldn't believe it," Lucas said. "I bought a lot of nonfiction books. I bought every Native American book published."

These days, with cutbacks to education, Lucas has a list of current books that should be in the library once funding becomes available.

"My whole goal is to get kids reading and interested in reading," Lucas said.

With such high aspirations, it's no wonder that parents and staff at Blossom Hill all said Lucas' replacement has big shoes—or high heels—to fill.