Published: September 03, 2008 06:24 pm      

New library carries memories

When children walk into the new Methner library at Saint Susanna Catholic School, they see a vast difference from what they had before.

The library, which is big enough for four double-sided book shelves, two tables, a row of computers, and a space for a class to sit and listen to a story, also has colorful animals painted on the walls and gives students a place to be comfortable and read.

The old library, which was a part of the computer lab, would only hold about 3,000 to 4,000 books, where the new one holds 11,215, school librarian Kathy Authenreith said.

“This is really what the new library is all about,” she said to a group of fifth-graders. “We couldn’t do this (sit and read comfortably) before and one of the coolest things about the new library is that we can actually sit like human beings in bean bags and chairs.”

The library is named in honor of Joe Methner, who was a member of the church when he passed away from bile duct cancer in 2003. Methner’s daughter, Alexis, attended the school until this year, when she began fifth grade in public school.

Methner’s father, Carl, said when his son moved here he taught at Avon East Intermediate School and the parish was just starting the library in Saint Susanna’s at that time.

“When Joe died, people said ‘what can we do as a memorial’ and we started a fund to start the library at Saint Susanna’s and stock it up,” Methner said. “We used the contributions, instead of flowers and such, to name the library in his honor.

“He was a saint, wonderful teacher, good guy. Cancer doesn’t take the bad guys, you know.”

Before hanging the plaque outside the door in the hallway, Linda Bloomer, a kindergarten teacher at the school, who knew Methner and taught his daughter when she was in kindergarten gave a short speech to a group of fifth-graders about Methner.

“What was really neat about Joe Methner, he was a family man and a teacher and he believed in a Catholic education,” she said. “All kids and adults are proud to rededicate the library in his honor. I know he’s an angel, and I feel he’s blessed us and I hope each one of you know that every time you guys open a book, he’s smiling.”

Methner’s widow, Heather, said she couldn’t believe the difference from the old library to the new when she walked in the door.

“It’s amazing — Joe would be overwhelmed,” she said. “Reading was very important to him. He would be very proud of this and I know this has meant a lot to Alexis.”

Principal Tina Davis said the library would not have been finished without the help of parents, students, and even members of the Plainfield High School swim team. She said it seemed to take forever, but it was worth it in the end.

“We spent the summer here working on it, and the kids would stop by and their mouths would drop and they would say ‘this is a real library,’” she said. “That puts all the work that went into it as worth it.”

\charlee.beasor@flyergroup.com