The New Buffalo Township Library Poltergeist.

When all is quiet at the library, and you patiently wait and listen....oh, there it is....do you hear it? The muffled sound of books being shelved? Oh, but that is just Merry North-Pirkel. Going about her duties as a librarian. The thing is, though...Mary is no longer with us.

Merry North-Pirkel was the Director of the New Buffalo Township Library starting in 1984 until 1995. She helped revolutionize our library by having it become the first library in Berrien County to have our collection become automated. As a result, our wooden card catalogue was removed in 1991. She knew right away that automation was the future for libraries.

After Merry's run as Director and her passing, She has stayed true to what some of us librarians tend to say, "Once the library has you, it never lets go." For the past 25 or so years, we have sensed the quiet presence of Merry in the stacks. From our clock in our office going "bong" at the most random of times, to perfectly stable books falling off of the shelves, to the light patter of books being put back onto the shelf in corners of the library. We just giggle amongst ourselves and murmur, "There's Merry."

Merry has the perfect mind frame when it comes to being a librarian. As was previously mentioned, once the library has you, it never lets go. I feel like this sentiment runs deep for librarians. If you are so charmed to be able to become a librarian, you can never not be again. The stacks, books, pages and words hold you captivated. It becomes home. A great love. And there are some librarians, like myself, that have vowed that even after they have passed through this world, they would still very much enjoy languidly wondering the shelves of their one true passion. The Library.