For most of her life, Luona has been involved with libraries, either borrowing materials or working behind the desk. She enjoys finding that community connection with other patrons and says seeing fellow library patrons in the town is like running into an old friend.
But libraries have a specially place in Luona’s heart. It was in a library where she met (and fell in love with) her future husband.
“I was attending United Wesleyan Bible College in Allentown in 1989,” said Luona. “And because I had worked in my high school library years ago and knew my way around a circulation desk, was fortunate enough to get a job working at the campus library there.”
While working at the library, Luona would repeatedly run into another student, Tim, who she shared a few classes with. Though he lived off campus, Tim would always arrive at the library to study while Luona was working, and she in turn would find reasons to clean and shelve books near where Tim would study.
“He finally asked me out, and in just a little over a year we were married,” Luona said. “After we were married, we moved to Myerstown so he could attend the Evangelical School of Theology, and again, I worked in the Rostad Library there on campus.”
When her youngest child was four years old, Luona began working as an elementary school library paraprofessional at the Lebanon School District. She also added a part-time job working evenings and weekends at the Womelsdorf Community Library.
“I don’t know where I would be today without libraries in my life,” Luona remarks. “I never in a million years thought the library would actually help me find love, but I was sure happy it did!”
