Woof

I worked as a clerk at Himmel from 1998 to 2004. I remember on one occation that a dog came running through the library. One of the other library staff asked if he had a library card. Woof! was the only reply, before he left to explore the park.

Catalina Methodist Storytime

I have been a Pre-K teacher at Catalina Methodist Day School (which is acros the street) for 5 years and every Tuesday we come to the Himmel library for storytime with Ben. The kids all love Ben & his wonderful storytelling. Thank you Himmel library for being there for us every week without fail. We love the library!

Magic and Kermit the Frog

When my son was little, Himmel was one of his favorite places to come. He got his first storybook and first library card. Some of his favorite books are Magic School Bus, Magic Tree House, Pokemon, Bionicle, Andrew Lost, Scaredy Squirrel. In other words, Himmel has a lot of magic to share. My daughter Sophie, loved the Kermit the Frog. She carried it with her down the aisles and I try to keep her from knocking all the books off the shelves. I love Himmel and if my kids love to read, it's because of all the amazing book and memories we had here.

Volunteering at Himmel

My favorite memory about Himmel is coming to volunteer and seeing all the people motivated to read and get to know all of the people from the library.

A Career in the Library Field

Himmel is the first place I volunteered when I was fourteen. It was the first step in my path toward a career in the library field.

Himmel at 50, Micah at Nine and a Half

My son Micah and I have been patrons of Himmel Park Library his entire lifetime – nine and a half years! The first five years of his life, Himmel was the center of our universe. If we were not checking out zillions of pictures books, we were attending weekly story times, talking with the incredible staff at Himmel about book recommendations and life in general, frequenting the Lego and Chess Club, and chatting with friends in the children’s section.I remember the times when Micah entertained himself long enough (playing with the hand sanitizer machine and making xerox copies) to give me a precious few moments to look for books that did not rhyme!I now work at the public library, and I have the great pleasure of giving storytimes! My son no longer plays with the hand sanitizer machine, and he can use the online catalog and reserve system like a librarian. But to this day, what he still enjoys most, is walking up to the desk at Himmel, talking with the friendly staff, checking out his books, and experiencing that most human of connections - kindness.

Alyce Collinge Memorial

My Mother Alyce Collinge joined then Tucson Public Library in 1967. She became Himmel's manager in 1968. Himmel had a staff of 9, 3 librarians, 3 clerks and 3 pages, the pages and one clerk were part-time, one librarian, Eddie Brooks, was the children's librarian. Former Tucson City Manager, Joel Valdez, who had just begun his carrer, was one of the clerks. If you look closely at the 1961 photo you will see there is no conference room. It was added sometime after my Mother transferred to the Woods Library in 1970. The rest of the library is much as she knew it, minus the computers! Himmel was her favorite library, she had a great staff and she loved the sense of community inside and outside the library. Look for her memorial tree on the right as you walk into the library and remember her words: "Plant the Seed, Read." John Collinge, Bethesda, Maryland