Forty years ago: the new librarian in town

 

On July 26, 1982 -- forty years ago today -- I began my new job as director of the Auburn (Maine) Public Library.  **

 At the end of June, 1982, we moved from Pittsburg, Kansas, to Portland when Stevens was appointed dean of the library at the University of Southern Maine.  I'd been very unhappy in Pittsburg (a long story) and he wanted to return to New England and we looked forward to the new opportunity. 

 

 I had two job interviews lined up (Windham PL and APL) and I got offers from both.  What an ego-booster that was.  Auburn was larger, paid better, and I loved the elegant 1904 Carnegie building.   It was the right decision.  In the 11 years I was there the library made progress and so did I.  

(What I learned much, much later was that some of Stevens' ancestors lived just outside Auburn and are buried there.  See the June 20 entry in this post  Small world.)

The long-time clerk to the APL board was an attorney. He wrote great minutes, getting all the facts and adding commentary. (See para. 5: "as usual, it was reported . . .) 

Two Hilyards in the state newsletter, Downeast Libraries. 

There was a month between our move and getting settled into our Portland house (two blocks from the USM Portland campus) and starting the new job. That was when I took note of two wildflowers growing in profusion in vacant lots and along roadsides:   Queen Anne's lace and chicory.  Every July since then (four decades now) when the long-lasting lacy white and heavenly blue come out I think back to that happy summer with so much promise and potential.

** Dress for Success and "doing your colors" were all the rage in 1982. I was in a quandary about my first-day outfit which I bought at Benoit's in downtown Portland.  The wrap skirt was light green and the blouse (ruffled placket and collar) was white with pink, green, and blue pinstripes. The wrap overlap was hard to keep together so I didn't wear the skirt very long but I wore the blouse for years.