I think we all remember Mrs. Fowler, even if no one has commented about her. Libraries and librarians have long been an important part of my life (and some of my dearest friends), but I know little or nothing about Mrs. Fowler, nor did I work in the library. Whether or not she loved books or learning or bringing students to either, I haven't a clue, nor if she herself was a "book hound". (Miss Dickinson in the elementary libraries was quite a different story--an interesting person with an interesting life, and an obvious love of books.) Mrs. Fowler was rather martial in the way she ran the library, and I dare say, if someone now, as she did then, opened up student lockers and rummaged through them looking for overdue books, they'd surely have a lawsuit on their hands. I confess I once considered buying my own date stamp and ink pad, to mark my own due date in books--not that I wanted to keep them forever, but just so I could read them at my leisure. Whew! Good thing I didn't try that!
Helene Solheim
I think we all remember Mrs. Fowler, even if no one has commented about her. Libraries and librarians have long been an important part of my life (and some of my dearest friends), but I know little or nothing about Mrs. Fowler, nor did I work in the library. Whether or not she loved books or learning or bringing students to either, I haven't a clue, nor if she herself was a "book hound". (Miss Dickinson in the elementary libraries was quite a different story--an interesting person with an interesting life, and an obvious love of books.) Mrs. Fowler was rather martial in the way she ran the library, and I dare say, if someone now, as she did then, opened up student lockers and rummaged through them looking for overdue books, they'd surely have a lawsuit on their hands. I confess I once considered buying my own date stamp and ink pad, to mark my own due date in books--not that I wanted to keep them forever, but just so I could read them at my leisure. Whew! Good thing I didn't try that!