Beloved Librarian Closes Chapter at HP Library
Take a few steps inside Highland Park Library and you’ll be greeted with a sense of warmth, comfort, and the magic of stories waiting on the shelves.
Walk alongside beloved librarian Bonnie Case, and you’ll discover she is the root of the library’s energy.
For Case, her job was about more than helping people find stories. It was about connecting with people who, in turn, brought their own stories to share with her.
Case was presented with the opportunity to work in Highland Park while working at the Dallas Public Library. Having grown up in a small town, the idea of working in a smaller, community-based environment appealed to her.
Flash forward 42 years and Case has not only a lifetime of service under her belt but also endless connections with the Highland Park community.
“You don’t stay somewhere for 42 years if it isn’t a good situation,” Case said. “Thankfully this was a wonderful situation.”
Many factors kept Case around the library for so long, but the biggest one was the Highland Park community.
“They appreciate the value of education and reading,” Case said. “Getting to help these people all day long and never knowing what the topic will be is the greatest part of my job.”
Case witnessed the evolution of how readers chose to consume stories, from cassette tapes and audio books to downloadable magazines. Though technology crept its way into the library over time, Case was always pleased that most of the community preferred to sit down with an old-fashioned book. This meant more time to connect with readers.
The library also underwent a huge renovation that Case says brought it to life, from the warm fireplaces to the welcoming children’s area.
What won’t change are the lasting friendships Case made with the community. She got to know people so well that she’d set aside books for library-goers based on their interests and favorite authors. She has seen children she knew from her earlier years at the library grow up and bring their own families back to read the books they grew up with.
Though Bonnie retired from the library at the end of December 2016, it will still be an important place in her everyday life.
“I’ll definitely stay around, because this is my library,” Case said. “I’m excited to come in and be on the other side of the shelf.”
In her retirement, Case hopes to remain involved through volunteer work and participating in community events. She’s also excited that her schedule will finally permit her to catch a movie on a Wednesday afternoon.
As for her final message as library director, she has nothing but thanks to a community that quickly became her family.
“I’d like to say thank you for a wonderful 42 years,” Case said. “Thank you for letting me be a part of your story.”
