Remembering my old library friend Ms. Rodriguez

When I think of the traditional librarian, the kind of lady that walked around with a ruler in her hand and eye glasses at the tip of her nose, I think of Esther Rodriguez. She was that kind of librarian.

My dear friend Mrs. Rodriguez passed away this week. She was everything that I thought of in an educator of yesteryear. She had passion and a temper. She had purpose and a reason for being who she was. And for those that really knew her, she has a great smile and a love for life.

When I was a freshman at Douglas High School, I was lucky enough to get a job as a student worker for the library. I love libraries, especially the old ones. I love the smell of old books, and the cracking sound of new books when they haven’t been opened all the way.

I love the creak of old wooden floors, and the thousands of little cards you run your fingers across when trying to find a title in the card catalog. I like to make my way through the sections of the library, with books stacked up taller than I could reach. I like to find the book and think about what I’m about to learn.