A Living Memory

One of my most fulfilling and challenging tasks as an elementary school librarian is creating memorial collections for the family and friends of my school community, a "living memorial" for a deceased individual that provides comfort to the bereaved.

One of the first memorial collections I put together a few years ago was for Rosie, a former kindergarten student who had moved away and died of cancer. As a parent, I knew that the memorial needed to be a very personal tribute to this little girl, so I came up with three different collections. The first includes books whose protagonists are named Rosie, the second features strong women in history, and the third consists of books about flowers. In addition to honoring Rosie, all three collections reflected themes and interests that would appeal to students and enhance our library's collection.

I selected a number of Patricia Reilly Giff's books for the collection, including Dance with Rosie (1996), Rosie's Nutcracker Dreams (1996), Starring Rosie (1997), Not-So Perfect Rosie (1997), A Glass Slipper for Rosie (1997), and Rosie's Big City Ballet (1998, all Viking), along with Girls: A History of Growing Up Female in America (Scholastic, 2000) by Penny Colman and How a Seed Grows (HarperCollins, 1992) by Helene J. Jordan.

Another memorial collection honored a father in our community whose keen interest in children's books and education led him to his joining my first Parent/Child Caldecott Club. Our local parent-teacher association chose to honor his memory by creating a collection of more than 100 Caldecott Medal and Honor Books. Every year, the latest Caldecott winners are added to the memorial collection, which occupies a prominent place alongside the library's entrance. I continue to host an after-school Caldecott Club for third graders, in which we read a different Caldecott book each month and then get together to discuss it.

Another memorial collection honored three of our students' much-loved grandmother, who had emigrated from Holland. Because she enjoyed hand stitching and had a life-long passion for education, I chose titles that reflect a love of learning, as well as folktales from Holland, stories about grandparents, and books on crafts. The collection includes titles such as The Secret School (Harcourt, 2001) by Avi, The Year of Miss Agnes (S & S, 2000) by Kirkpatrick Hill, Meet My Grandmother: She's a Supreme Court Justice (Millbrook, 1999) by Lisa Tucker McElroy, and The Quilt Alphabet (Holiday House, 2001) by Lesa Cline-Ransome. I added a special spine label and bookplate to each book so the collection is easily identifiable.

When my daughter Megan died last year, the PTA and my fellow staff members contributed books to the library in her honor. I selected some of the titles she and I had read together when she was little. A Little Princess (1905) and The Secret Garden (1911) by Frances Hodgson Burnett were two of her favorites. I also included a book on state government, Virginia Government for Kids! (Gallopade International, 1996) by Carole Marsh, since that was a topic she was passionate about. I rejoice every time a student checks out one of Megan's books.

The same guidelines pertain to all memorial collections: choose hardcovers unless the "perfect" book is only available in paperback. The collection should honor the individual's memory, interests, and experiences. Keep designated collections in mind as you read reviews, go book shopping, or check Amazon.com. Parents frequently donate money to our school's Add-A-Book fund to purchase new books with special dedications for our collections.

Memorial collections provide a means to grow your library's overall collection and strengthen your relationship with the community. I can't imagine a better tribute to any individual than having a book or collection dedicated to their memory.