Librarians I have loved

Two weeks ago, I went to a local funeral parlor to pay my respects to an old friend whose father had passed away. As I was leaving, I was delighted to see Mrs. Mueskes, who was one of the librarians at my community library when I was a little girl. I was so excited to see her and to tell her that I was beginning the Fast Track program in Library Science. Mrs. Mueskes was always so kind and helpful -- she truly enjoyed helping library patrons of all ages find just the right book. She would always greet each patron by name, welcoming us back to the library and offering to help us find what we were looking for (or to recommend a new selection if we were in the mood for something new!)
I've also been reflecting upon the other prominent librarians in my life. Mrs. Schubert was my elementary school librarian from kindergarten to third grade. She was a tiny little lady who wore a beehive hairdo (in the 1980s!) and never tired of showing us all kinds of new things. I particularly remember a unit on dinosaurs she taught when I was in first grade -- I became temporarily obsessed with the triceratops and just couldn't get enough of them. Mrs. Schubert was only too happy to meet my need for more information! She was also the woman who taught me how to use the card catalog. I can vividly recall the beige cardstock and the smell of wood and dust when the drawers were opened!
After third grade, my elementary school was closed and turned into a nursing home. At my new school, I met Miss D'Alessio, who was eager to help each of us find something new to get excited about. She helped me find and read every single book in the collection about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I always looked forward to my time in the library, because our new school was so big and scary -- and I knew that the library was safe. I learned to orient myself around the building in relation to the library!
These three women were very important in my life. They fueled my love of reading and made me feel confident in my ability to ask questions and find answers. I think of them with great admiration and respect, and look forward to emulating them in my future career as a librarian.