Timeless Letters to Troy Children Have Fresh Impact for Library 40 Years Later

Voices from the past reinforce those from the present as the endangered Troy Public Library promotes its value to the community.

Ninety-seven letters sent to the library in 1971 are posted at its website and the Flickr photo-sharing site as part of a survival campaign. Voter approval of 0.7 mills for five years is needed Aug. 2 to keep the institution open, city officials say.

“A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered,” author E.B. White wrote 40 years ago to children’s librarian Marguerite Hart, who requested messages from well-known figures to mark the current building’s May 16, 1971, opening at 510 W. Big Beaver Rd. Her inspired idea was to solicit memories of being a young reader and reflections on why libraries matter.

Expressive replies came from Neil Armstrong, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Ronald Reagan, First Lady Patricia Nixon, five governors, Canada's prime minister and dozens of actors, authors, artists, musicians, playwrights and politicians. Most are typed, some are handwritten and one from the author of Dr. Seuss books is in four bright colors.  

Chance discovery

They had been tucked into plastic sleeves and largely forgotten until Philip Kwik, head of the public services department, came across them a few years ago while clearing shelf space for new materials. "I thought 'Wow, these are remarkable treasures,' " he recalled. Recognizing their local value as historic artifacts, and the collectible value of celebrity signatures on personal correspondence, the librarian moved the binder from an open-access area to more secure storage.

There they sat until early this year, when city budget strains put the library in peril. While preparing materials for possible relocation "in anticipation of closing," Kwik said, he saw the letters again – this time in a new light.

"I began reading them and realized they were written almost exactly 40 years ago – in some cases to the day," he added. In addition to that coincidence, he was struck by the uncanny relevance of many writers' appreciation for libraries and their lasting impact.

"I can still remember vividly the books I borrowed on my weekly and often twice-weekly visits,” acclaimed playwright Neil Simon wrote on March 11, 1971.

It was another "wow" moment, one that kindled an idea for Kwik, a library employee since 1998. "I thought 'we've got something here.' It was absolutely generous of those people to address personal messages to Troy's children, and not a project that can be duplicated today" in the era of email and reduced access to public figures. 

Creative brainstorm

An intern scanned all 97 originals for posting online to help make the case for support – an idea as inspired as Marguerite Hart's. Part of the collection also is on view in the library lobby.

Wow-worthy surprises weren't finished yet.

On May 6, a British writer with a blog he describes as "an homage to offline correspondence" (www.lettersofnote.com) posted a fanciful two-sentence card from science fiction writer Isaac Asimov to librarian Hart. When Kwik directed blogger Shaun Usher to the full trove, the writer added that link and this note: "This is an incredible collection of letters from a whole host of names, and makes for amazing reading."

Internet magic followed. "We began hearing from people all over. The viralness was sort of amazing," marveled Kwik, who lost count of how many pickups followed.

Internet buzz spreads

The eight dozen vintage letters from A-list celebrities earned comments and links from library sites, book bloggers, The Atlantic magazine, a Seattle daily paper, author Andrew Sullivan at The Daily Beast, Facebook pages and elsewhere.

Though addressed to Troy children, the messages have unforeseen relevance at a time of budget cuts nationwide. "Los Angeles librarians are using them in their own struggle against cutbacks," Kwik said at the local library this month.

Ronald Reagan, governor of California back in 1971, noted in his contribution that those served by public libraries range “from the youngest child even before he learns to read to the eldest of our senior citizens." 

Below are excerpts from letters sent before Troy’s current library opened on May 16, 1971. The full set is here. 

‘It is a space ship’

“It isn't just a library. It's a space ship that will take you to the farthest reaches of the Universe, a time machine that will take you to the far past and the far future, a teacher that knows more than any human being, a friend that will amuse and console you."
-- Isaac Asimov, science fiction writer

‘Use it well’

“Your library is a storehouse for mind and spirit. Use it well.”
-- Neil Armstrong, moon-walking astronaut

 ‘I learned so much’

"I know of no other hobby which influenced my life as much as reading books which I borrowed from our public library. I learned so much about people, about faraway places, about problems and about how I could make my own life count. Being able to choose the books I wanted to read all by myself was a great adventure and I valued this privilege."
-- U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink, Hawaii congresswoman

‘The span of interest’

"The material offered by your library covers the span of interest from the youngest child even before he learns to read to the eldest of our senior citizens."
-- Ronald Reagan, California governor

‘New doors for all’

"The Troy Public Library has opened new doors for all of you. . . . It is my hope that you will take advantage of such a truly worthwhile opportunity."
-- Patricia Nixon, wife of President Richard Nixon

‘It lasts all the rest of your life’

"Your library is more full of good things than a candy store or a pirate’s chest. What you get from books is not only pleasurable and valuable, but it lasts all the rest of your life."
-- Dr. Benjamin Spock, pediatrician and child-care author

‘Books are people’

"A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. . . . Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people -- people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book."
-- E.B. White, author of Charlotte’s Web and other books

‘A roomful of friends’

“A library is like a roomful of friends, each one with his own story or observations ready and waiting to be discovered."
-- Mary Hemingway, journalist and wife of novelist Ernest Hemingway

‘If you have books . . .’

"Use your library, remembering that whatever else you may not have, if you have books you have everything."
-- Kingsley Amis, British writer

‘Truly bubbling with excitement’

"Libraries are wonderful places in which to be lost. Although they are thought of as quiet places, they are truly bubbling with excitement."
-- John Chaffee, secretary of the Navy

‘The home of language’

“Your new library is the home of language, yours and all ones from the beginning. In it you will learn how others lived and thought, and from it you will learn to live and think better for yourselves."
-- Vincent Price, actor