By Colleen Nelson
When Bowlby Library director Kathy McClure and I pored over a thick stack of photos from the past – the kind of past that many of you will remember – I was transported back to the early 1990s when the Bowlby Bear held parties on the front lawn before the gazebo arrived, prior to the last addition was added to expand the library to what you see today. Two photos from inside begged to be included in this trip down memory lane. One is a freeze frame moment from story time capturing the restless energy of preschoolers, from infants to wide-eyed two and three year olds to the elder statesmen status of four and five year olds who follow the lead of the storyteller as she presses her fingers to her lips for an important segment of the tale. Shhh! It’s story time!
Then there’s the Bowlby Bear, the beloved first one with the kind face and a lap to sit on. From the looks of these small folk, they still truly believe there’s a furry storyteller living inside the old mansion on Richhill Street who is willing to come out on a sunny summer day and read to them.
Actually, there have been fur persons living at the library – remember Libby? For more than 12 years she ruled the world of books and card catalogues and computers when they were finally added to the services offered here. Bowlby Library has certainly kept up with the times and continues to expand the world for those who came through the door.
Nobody alive remembers going to the big turkey farm that used to stretch for acres behind the Bowlby mansion when it was first built in the early days of the 20th century. But look close. Those kids at story time and cuddling with the bear are from 1992. One of them just might be your kid – or you!
