LV Life

Larick’s perseverance helps shape archives

Louise Larick first began working at the Wilson Library in 1934. Since then, she has left ULV to work at public schools, but returned to campus five years ago as a part time archivist for the library. / photo by Amy Borer
Louise Larick first began working at the Wilson Library in 1934. Since then, she has left ULV to work at public schools, but returned to campus five years ago as a part time archivist for the library. / photo by Amy Borer

By Amber Neri
Staff Writer

“I’d always been interested in trying to preserve things, but I never had the opportunity because I didn’t have enough time, money, equipment or space,” said E. Louise Larick, with a bright twinkle in her knowing eyes.

The University of La Verne’s Wilson Library Archivist, Larick, has been working at restoring and organizing valuable books, records and documents in various libraries for the past 59 years.

Born in Covina, she moved with her family to Ontario in 1921 when she was 10 years old.

Coming from a family of four children, Larick has 11 nieces and nephews, and nine grand-nieces and nephews who she says are all quite dear to her.

She graduated from Chaffey High School and Chaffey Junior College before attending an undergraduate library school in Riverside. In 1935, Larick started her junior year at La Verne College.

As a student library worker that fall, Larick started earning her way through school through a government work study program that paid her 35 cents an hour. By the end of that year, she was named University librarian.

Her previous studies at the undergraduate librarian college made her college plans exceed the traditional four years. She successfully graduated as an LVC senior two years later, in 1937.

Larick remained librarian at the University for 17 years before moving on to a similar position at Paramount School in the Azusa Unified School District.

After a six year tenure at Paramount, Bonita High School, in the Bonita Unified School District, offered her a position which put her in charge of organizing the newly constructed library.

She remained with Bonita High for three years.

Mt. San Antonio College was her next stop, as an audio visual and reference librarian. She worked in their new facility for one year before leaving to accept a position as district librarian and audio/media specialist for the Claremont Unified School District.

This in turn, led her back to La Verne. Larick returned to the University of La Verne Library as a volunteer. They needed someone to organize the collection.

At the time, everything was in boxes because new carpeting had just been installed. She recalls everything being stored in the huge boxes, “I just started from there, and I had a hand-written indexed page for each thing in each box,” said Larick.

That was about seven years ago. She just started getting paid for her work five years ago.

“It’s wonderful to make money at my age! It makes a difference between really feeling free to live, and just existing,” said Larick.

She lives at Hillcrest Homes in La Verne, and works in the University library archives four days a week.

A lot of changes have taken place in the way things are done in libraries.

“Everything used to be done by hand, and I even had to teach students how to bind books and things by hand back then,” she said.

With everything becoming automated, Larick has an important task ahead of her. Everything is currently being put onto the Internet, so that other colleges like the University of Southern California (USC), can have access to informational material on-line.

The Wilson Library Archives are a depository archives for the Pacific Southwest District of the Church of the Brethren, as well as the University of La Verne.

“There is not enough time to get everything done,” said Larick.

Her next task is to identify and document old photographs from the 1930’s. She is one of the few people who was there and is familiar with the townspeople of back then.

Several categories in the archives include Brethren genealogies, town and world history, and University alumni records which have obituaries, wedding announcements and various slides and films.

The progress she has made in the archives is truly apparent. Her meticulous ways and perseverance have made it possible for future students and visitors to find all of the information they may need in the Wilson Library archives.

Happy with her employment, Larick said, “It (this job) fascinates me. It encompasses all facets of living, and all periods of history. What more could anyone ask for?”

Amber Neri
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