Comments on: Hamburg’s First Library

By: Audrey Kimble

Audrey Kimble — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:27:20 +0000

Mrs. Holfeld you were my librarian the entire time K-8 at Hamburg. I remember being younger and listening to the books on cassette and reading time!

By: Kathy Holley Dehnel

Kathy Holley Dehnel — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:04:20 +0000

I learned to read as a young student in Hamburg Elementary School… I still remember the magical feeling that would come over me during reading classes with Mrs. Benner in first grade and then Mrs. Ellis in second. Unlocking the reading code was so exciting… turning letters into words and words into sentences and then into paragraphs and chapters and whole books! What magic.
At the time there was no library at the school and I remember my mother used to take me to a house on Route 23 that was a door or two up from the Presbyterian Church by Oak Street. I don’t know the ladies name but she had a whole room full of books and she used to let me borrow them. I was only there a few times but I do remember my mother telling me that the lady who lived there let people borrow books like you could from a library. Soon after I started going there the Franklin Branch of the Sussex County Library System opened and I was allowed to walk all way there to borrow books. The first time I went, Miss Henry told me I would need a note from my mother before I could get a library card so she gave me a ride to my house in the book mobile. I told her not to drive it into our narrow little dead end street but she assured me it was okay and away we went. I got my note and all the Moms on the street came out to help Mill Henry turn the big book mobile around but she did it and we were soon on our way back to the library where I proudly checked out my first book with my very own library card.

By: sherry hulings

sherry hulings — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:27:58 +0000

One day, for a high school assignment, I went to the library. I saw this lady, back turned from me while she quitely spoke to a student. Tears came to my eyes because I’d recognize that lady’s stance anywhere she would be in the world–Mrs. Fowler. My family had moved from Hamburg but Hamburg didn’t move from me, I could still recall everyone’s name, all the street names, all the cool things to do and locations to do them in. Most of all, I remembered faces and the characteristics of certain people, especially those I respected and admired. I thought she might not remember me “hardly at all” and I was just about to sneak past and leave when she saw me. She stood there with one of her big smiles, arms filled with books, and from all my former experiences with her I knew she wouldn’t stop to chit chat, she was quite busy. We did catch-up later that day. Her life, too, had gone through some changes that had begun shortly before I left Hamburg and I could see some of the effects around her eyes, like my aunt’s eyes changed when she had to start carrying the entire burden for her family. I hope my wonderful Librarian realized the value people placed upon her character, for she is truly a priceless human being. Thank God she was placed to be an influential part of my youth I had the privilege to know.

By: sherry hulings

sherry hulings — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:22:48 +0000

I remember Mrs. Lannin, how she inspired our 4th grade class with projects like reproducing a Native American village in miniature, gathering all sorts of leaves and seeds for display so that we could identify them more easily, for keeping her practiced poise whenever Mrs. Webb’s startling, cannon like sneezes exploded through the chalk board from the next classroom. I remember, too, that day when there was no more prayer in school, her expression when we just had to sit there quietly, and when things in her life began to change /evolve in a manner we couldn’t fully comprehend, but felt within our sprouting empathetic antennae. Even in later grades, and into high school, her kind and thoughtful little admonitions to respect and not ridicule another classmate’s shortcomings or appearance made it easier to accept those who were different from ourselves or spurned or looked down upon by other students. I remember all my teachers and Mrs. Linda Lannin is Head of The Class, for she exemplified the definition of class.

By: sherry hulings

sherry hulings — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:24:18 +0000

I have never forgotten “Our Mrs. Lannin” or that lady who took a less challenging book out of my hands and handed me one more progressive than my age and grade, Mrs. Shirley Fowler. She helped and encouraged me to read a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction, which I have continued these past 45+ years. I could write a volume of memories about these 2 women who had been quite significant individuals in our daily lives for many years. It is remarkable to me finding this webpage while looking for someone else. They have been on my mind for several weeks and now I probably know the reason–to thank them for guiding us all.

By: Hertta Holfeld

Hertta Holfeld — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:52:21 +0000

very interesting -too bad that I wasn’t aware of this years ago when I was the Media Specialist at Hamburg School from 1977 -1995….many changes were made in those years for the better, I hope. Students knew their way “around a library” when they went to high school -often came back to me and said -Hamburg kids knew much more about the use of a library than the other elementary school kids – which made me very happy….

By: elaine hocking

elaine hocking — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:10:06 +0000

Dot Henry

By: Jennie Smith Formato

Jennie Smith Formato — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:43:55 +0000

One of my greatest joys as a child was to go to the bookmobile. I always had a passion for reading and I still do. This is a wonderful memory. Does anyone know the name of the lady who always came to our school with the bookmobile?