While weeding the fiction section of the library today I came upon a book written by someone I knew: Keys For Signe, written by Marion Fuller Archer and published in 1965! Marion and her husband Leonard were long-time members of the Madison Monthly Meeting. They were both librarians. Leonard exuded Old World grace, while Marion always had a Puckish twinkle about her. As the convener of our meeting's library committee, she would periodically stand up after meeting for worship, and with a completely deadpan demeanor, identify herself as "the grumpy librarian" before giving a forthright scolding about overdue books checked out from the meetinghouse library. When I first began attending Quaker meeting I was a little intimidated by her (as well I should be -- I am a terrible offender when it comes to overdue library books.) Over time, I became aware of what a lovely person she was.
She was the consummate librarian. They don't make them like her anymore (one reason that I am so frustrated with the master's program that I'm in.) I had no idea that she was also an author. I showed the book to the librarian who is mentoring me, and then I got another surprise. He said, "Oh, she's the founder of the Golden Archer Award." Unlike other awards given for children's literature -- like the Newbery and Caldecott Awards -- which are selected by committees of adults, the Golden Archer Award, and its picture book counterpart, the Little Archer, is given each year to a book that is selected by schoolchildren all across Wisconsin. That's a pretty special kind of recognition.
Marion Archer died last year. Her husband preceded her in death by several years. I am sad that I didn't know them better. I feel as if I found a little buried treasure today.
