Artist and Librarian, 1910-2002

Newspaper Clippings

Betty Crawford Gets More Honors
Ingersoll Tribune Dec 22, 1949

Real honor has been done Miss Betty Crawford, Ingersoll's librarian. She has been granted a certificate of librarianship by the department of education as a result of her work in connection with the Oxford County Library, of which she is secretary. Usually, such a certificate is granted only after taking a special librarian's course at the University of Toronto, but it can also be given for exceptional library work outside the librarian's own library. Her certificate is effective November 1, and makes Ingersoll Library eligible for higher grants.

"It's a grand Christmas present," said Miss Crawford, who is also a painter of note.

Let's Make This "Librarian Week"
Ingersoll Tribune April 8, 1964

This is Library Week and the Ingersoll Tribune sincerely feels that the books, the service, the art work, the information and the friendliness that the Ingersoll Public Library offers to the citizens of this town merits space on the front page of the newspaper.

The Town of Ingersoll has many things of which it can be justly proud -- things that many towns this size do not have. Not the least of these by any means is a fine public library.

Our library need not take second place to any library in any town in Ontario and indeed there are many centres much larger than Ingersoll who would be happy to boast of as a fine a one as we enjoy.

What makes our library so special? Of course the selection of books is varied and excellent. From the latest fiction to the oldest history; from the lightest novel to the heaviest technical tome; from the fast paced movie stories to the accurate records of political speeches and war maneuvers; and from etiquette for the teen-ager to the explanations of the various religions -- all these and many, many more can be found on the shelves.

Tribute too, must be paid the Library Board members for the time and effort they devote to the administration of the library and its funds.

The children's section, also is another special attraction.

Then, too, there is the friendliness and the competence of the assistants in the library.

But none of these statements hold the answer to our question. We repeat, "What makes our library so special?"

The answer, the key to the whole thing, is one name, Betty Crawford.

Miss Crawford has been acclaimed for many things. She has turned our library into an art centre. Thanks to her, Ingersoll residents have enjoyed many exhibits of many forms of art they may never have seen otherwise. She is known as a competent speaker and one who is always enjoyed; her personal recommendation or review of a book is enough to create a waiting list for it; she can write a column on library notes, suggesting books that any newspaper reviewer or critic would have been pleased to have done, and of course just recently, and quite deservedly, she was awarded the Legion's Citizen of the Year title.

These accomplishments are all note-worthy and an important part of the personality that makes Miss Crawford so special to the community.

However, there are many other facets -- facets that many regular visitors to the library could tell you about. For instance, in spite of all these awards and the fact that she is herself an artist of note, Miss Crawford still has time for everyone. She still will lay down an armful of books she was returning to the shelves to discuss a Peter Cottontail book with of the the youngest members and she's never too busy to guide a young reader to a new section of books; or to help a high school student look up a reference book or suggest where material for a speech might be found. The senior citizen will get just as much attention when failing eyesight makes it a little difficult to locate some of the titles on worn books. The newcomer who has a whole new world of reading awaiting him and the veteran member who has difficulty finding a book she "hasn't" read all receive the same courteous and friendly treatment.

But it isn't a "duty" kind of service that Miss Crawford hands out with her books. It is a warm friendliness, a sharing of books that re old friends or an invitation to the newcomer to meet them that makes her a very special librarian and the library is a special place to visit. Since this is library week, may we suggest to local folk who do not belong to it to try to visit there sometime this week and by all means if you have children take them with you. You'll be glad you did and we wager that you go back.

On the other hand, to those of you who go there regularly may we suggest that this would be a good time to somehow express or show our appreciation to our librarian for the many little extras she has done for us... you know the time she saved that book for you because she remembered you particularly liked that type of mystery.

Miss Crawford is a modest woman and she deserves every word of praise she has received. Let's add ours to it. We certainly wouldn't want to embarrass her but we speak quite sincerely when we say that in Ingersoll this should be "Librarian Week" as well as "Library Week".