Lynley Fowler has retired after 50 years at Whanganui Library. Photo/Bevan Conley
Lynley Fowler worked at the Whanganui District Library for more than 50 years before retiring last Friday. She speaks to Zaryd Wilson and reflects on five decades of change.
The reluctant librarian has retired.
Just over 50 years ago Lynley Fowler walked into the Alexander Library to start what was meant to be a temporary job.
"I didn't want to work in a library," she says.
Lynley left Whanganui Girls College in 1966, at the end of sixth form, and had a book binding apprenticeship at Meteor Printers lined up.
"Now people will go to Google first and it's only when they need something deeper or something really old that they come into the library."
In 1980 the library expanded with the Davis Central City Library opening just across the road on Queens Park.
As it is today, that became the lending part of the library while the old library became the Alexander Heritage and Research Library.
"We'd outgrown this building."
The money for the Davis Library came from the S M Davis Trust and a public fundraising campaign which Lynley remembered walking the streets and door knocking for.
"Whanganui has been extremely well blessed by benefactors," Lynley says.
"Council has not paid for any of its public buildings; the museum, the Alexander Library, the Davis Library, the Sarjeant Gallery. Even the Memorial Hall was kicked off by a grant.
"Of course the council put some money in, the council maintains them once we've got them."
Since the opening of the Davis, Lynley has spent the 37 years working between the two buildings atop Queens Park.
"It'd be nice if we were all in the same building but we're only across the road about 20 yards and that walk I think is our health," she says.
"A little bit of fresh air and a minute amount of exercise."