Memories

My memories of libraries start with primary school. Some years we had a teacher librarian; other years we didn’t. The one person who was always in my school library was Mrs Dowding, who in recent years I’ve come to realise, was our library officer. Primary school kids don’t really recognise the difference between TLs and officers – everyone is a librarian! Just the same as patrons of the public library think!

I routinely volunteered to be the “stamper” – stamping the due date on items issued at lunch time and filing the loan card (is that what it’s called?) away.  I must admit this is the closest I got to actually experiencing the Browne issue system.  Towards the end of year 6, I had renewed The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base that many times, that Mrs Dowding suggested to my parents that they buy me a copy for Christmas!  Talk about a personal service 🙂

During this time, and into high school, I started using my public library – begging my parents to take me there – and being so excited when my handwritten request cards arrived in the mail to let me know that another Enid Blyton, Carolyn Keene or Judy Blume title had come in for me.  I also remember Peter, the branch librarian, spending inordinate amounts of time helping me research my homework.  I can’t remember what the homework was on this occasion, but I do remember him helping me find a poem about a worm.

Funny, the things we remember.  I guess are some of the reasons I ended up in libraries – the personal service and the memories of a helpful environment.