{"id":14149,"date":"2021-09-22T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/?p=14149"},"modified":"2021-09-21T15:56:24","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T20:56:24","slug":"dear-diary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/2021\/09\/22\/dear-diary\/","title":{"rendered":"Dear Diary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dear Diary, on September 22nd each year, we celebrate the way \u201cyou\u201d help us document our lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diaries offer us a glimpse into how we change and remind us of events long forgotten. Diaries also offer a reference for future generations. While many may think of diaries as a place to keep precious secrets, they also provide a look at how life has changed (or remained the same) from one generation to another. They serve as a reminder of ways long forgotten, words no longer in use, or attitudes that were once acceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most mention the weather, daily activities of work and play, the cast of characters whose lives intersected with the diarist, and the highs and lows of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center in the Davenport Public Library our collection contains diaries in various formats. Here is a sampling of items we are preserving for your use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lilah Bell<\/strong> was a local force to be reckoned with. She was appointed the first director of the Homemaker Service of Scott County in 1963 to meet a community need. It was a pilot project administered through the Davenport Visiting Nurse Association serving the chronically ill and aged. Bell single handedly set up the physical office space, selected furnishings, hired staff, prepared training materials, and ran the show. She was appointed October 1, 1963 and began keeping a diary that day of her activities. By October 15th<\/sup>  there had already been three calls for service. She began training staff on November 4th<\/sup>  and the team began their first care on November 18th<\/sup>. Her diary is a testament of what can be accomplished in a short span of time by someone with knowledge, skill and desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n