It was the summer of 1973 when I was hired among a pool of teenagers to work in the Patients Library in the original Madigan Army Hospital near Fort Lewis.   There were three full-time librarians that interviewed and hired me.  All three made a lifelong lasting impression.  But the one who wafts in and out of my memory like a sweet fragrance is Mrs. Roberts.

The head librarian was Mrs. Bruns.  Mrs. Bruns was the only daughter of a wealthy family. Her childhood stories were ones of exotic travels and adventures, with personal servants.   She was very professional, knowledgeable, and slightly aloof.  She handled all our communication with the Fort Lewis top brass.

Mrs Roberts, on the other hand, was the people’s librarian.  She taught me that librarians are not merely the stewards of great treasure—they are representatives of that great treasure.  She was a sales lady of the first order.  Every morning, she came into work with two heavy tote bags filled with books.  Those were new books that she had taken home and browsed through.   As I checked in the books and placed them on display, Mrs. Roberts gave me a brief synopsis of each book. And she told me…”so and so would like this one..put those in that corner… etc.”  I demur briefly from my narrative to remind readers that in 1973 most libraries concentrated attention on their print collection.  There were record albums, to be sure, but the focus was literature.

Besides browsing each new acquisition, Mrs. Roberts paid attention to every detail of the library.  Every ward received visits routinely from the volunteer army Mrs. Roberts assembled.  Bulletin boards were kept colorful and up-to-date.  In the spring and summer, she brought in fragrant blossoms from her garden.  Did I forget to mention that Mrs. Roberts’ other hobby was gardening?  She grew flowers specifically for the library. She had something to bring in for every season.  Even today, when I encounter certain fragrances, memories of that library and Mrs. Roberts comes instantly to mind.

Both she and Mrs. Bruns were close to retirement in 1973.  Both had been librarians since graduation from their respective colleges.  Mrs. Roberts was a graduate of the University of Washington.   She was also one of the first women in Washington to obtain a pilot’s license.  When I asked her why she had quit flying, her answer was typical of her humor.  “Hon, I had to quit flying long enough to make* have some babies.”

She was widowed by 1973 and her children and grandchildren were cut from the same down-to-earth material as she.  They were teachers and nurses and business people.  On summer days, Mrs. Roberts who would declare “it’s stuffy in here, open some doors!”  And people were invited to take their books and magazines out to our little patio area where they would read and smoke to their heart’s contents. 

Hanging out with Mrs. Roberts was the best basic training I could have received for my life in service to institutional libraries.

* word change 5/25/09

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.