For Barb Theurer, the Oxford Public Library is more than just a place to check out books or quietly read by the fireplace on a cold winter’s day.
It’s a cherished and familiar family friend that’s faithfully served her and her relatives for at least four generations.
‘I just love the feel of coming to a library,? said the 55-year-old Addison resident and 1969 Oxford High graduate. ‘It’s just like going to a candy store. There’s so many different flavors to taste. Where do you begin??
Theurer’s love of the Oxford library is apparently an inherited trait.
Both her grandmother, Mary Miller, and mother, Mary Jean (Miller) Specht, were fans of the local institution, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this week (see story right).
Theurer described her grandmother as a ‘voracious reader? who ‘loved words? and studying their roots. Her mother worked as a volunteer aide at Daniel Axford’s school library.
There’s an old newspaper article featuring a black-and-white photo (shown on page 17) of Theurer’s mother reading a magazine by the fireside at the Oxford library when it was located in a home on Mechanic Street from 1939 to 1967.
Back then, it was called the Christian Slayton Public Library.
This charming old photo was reprinted on the cover of the Oxford library’s Summer 2005 newsletter along with a photo of the Slayton library.
It was the second in a series of four covers commemorating the institution’s 80th anniversary being officially celebrated Dec. 12-18.
A photo of Theurer reading by the fireside at the library’s present location on Pontiac Street can be seen on the Winter 2005-06 newsletter cover.
Fond childhood memories of the Oxford library never fail to bring a smile to Theurer’s face.
‘As a little girl, we lived in town so I could ride my bike to the library,? she said referring to the Mechanic Street location. ‘You could go by yourself because you didn’t have to cross a main street to get there. It made it real convenient.?
‘I remember the hardwood floor and the low ceilings, how closed in it felt. But that was kind of cozy.?
She also remembers how helpful and kind Lillian Crawford, a longtime librarian, was to her.
‘She was always so friendly,? Theurer said. ‘If you didn’t have any idea of what you wanted to read, she would help you find something. She would stay with you until you did.?
Theurer recalled it was Crawford who helped preserve some of the library’s furnishings when it moved from Me’I chanic Street to W. Burdick Street in 1967 and was renamed the Oxford Public Library.
Crawford ‘made sure? that Immanuel Congregational United Church of Christ, at the corner of Dennison and Hovey streets, got some of the wooden book shelves. The new Burdick Street library utilized all metal shelving.
Theurer continued her family’s tradition of using the Oxford library when her daughters (Laura Janka, OHS 1998, and Sarah Theurer, OHS 2001) were young. She recalled bringing her daughters to the library for story time when Jean Cruickshank was the children’s librarian.
While raising her family ‘out in the country? of Addison Township, Theurer said they joined a book club through which books were delivered right to the house. But it just wasn’t the same. ‘It always seemed like the library had ones that were better,? she said.
Even Theurer’s husband of 29 years, Bill, is a big fan of the library. ‘One of his favorite things to do is to come in and sit by the fire and read through all the magazines,? she said.
Before he retired, Bill’s job required him to commute to downtown Detroit on a daily basis. Fortunately, the library made that hour-and-a-half drive a little easier and more bearable.
‘I was in here at least once or twice a week to check out books on tape,? he said.
Theurer believes the library is a ‘wonderful place full of ideas and resources? and the best part is they’re all shared by the community, bringing everyone a little closer together.
‘I love the fact that I can check out a book, then return it and it gets shared with somebody else,? she said. ‘We don’t do a lot of that in our society anymore. Everybody seems to think they have to have their own copy of everything.?
Before computers, scanners and barcodes, a library book’s due date was stamped inside it during the checkout process. This made Theurer wonder about who else had read it.
‘I’d check and see when was the last time this book was taken out. I’d try to imagine who checked it out and what they thought about the book.?
In a world where neighbors are strangers and many people often feel isolated and lonely, Theurer views ‘the library as a good place to come together.?
Two complete strangers searching for a book can strike up a conversation and discover they have a lot in common, Theurer said.
The library’s also a great place to keep in touch or get reacquainted with those already familiar to us.
‘It seems like you always bump into somebody you know here,? Theurer said.
Remember, the Oxford Public Library’s 80th anniversary is not just a celebration of some big building with a bunch of books inside, it’s a celebration of people like Barb Theurer and her family.
It’s a celebration of people who use, enjoy and support the library as a vital part of their everyday lives.