Retro RFH Aides’ Time Out

RFH library aides do chair battle in the 1970s Photo/RFH Yearbook

You’ve seen it before, but it warrants a reprise. With the recent death of aide Joan Blake RFHers all over are reminiscing about their time, or doing time, with those RFH aides. And every good RFH grad knows that they sometimes had to resort to techniques to tame us beasts that likely would get them in a heap of trouble, just like misbehaving students, if they were implemented nowadays. So, we revisit doing hard time in the library with those aides at RFH on a rainy day laden with those doldrums that they always seemed to chase away, even if it was with a chair …

Once upon a time, when the rain started, so did the antics in the library at RFH. And there to keep everyone in line and keep up one step, or a char, ahead of the antsy foul weather pranksters were those library aides.

They were well-equipped with a wise crack or several to banter with the best of them back in the 1970s. You’d also be well advised, back in the day, to realize that one was always lurking, usually over the shoulder when you were about to hurl a message-bearing paper airplane or sopping up a giant spit ball.

Yes, we RFHers know it wasn’t nice to mess with Mother Library. But, hey, sometimes we were bored, truly harmless and kept at bay by these ladies.

So, here’s to the rain and the ladies that kept things running smoothly with a simple “Go play in traffic!” or chair battle.

Remember them? What was your favorite library mischief of all time?