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HIGHTSTOWN: Community bids farewell as librarian retires

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
   HIGHTSTOWN — Librarian Linda Cholewiak, 67, retired on New Year’s Day from her longstanding role as Hightstown Memorial Library branch manager.
   She was promoted to the position in November 2002. She began working in the field as a children’s librarian in 1999.
   Ms. Cholewiak, of Lawrence Township, told the Herald during her retirement reception, held Dec. 27, that she would miss the library’s daily flow.
   ”This is what I’ll miss most after all of these years,” she said of her outgoing routine.
   Emily Fry, a children’s librarian from Hopewell, will be her successor. She began on Wednesday.
   Many Hightstown and East Windsor residents attended the Cookie and Tea farewell reception held in Ms. Cholewiak’s honor on Dec. 27 to say good-bye and wish her “good luck.”
   Some well-wishers handed her tokens of appreciation through cards and gifts.
   ”You can’t sum her up in one word,” said Kaneeze Husaini. “She’s just the most generous person I’ve ever met. She’s kind, compassionate. You name it — she’s amazing.”
   Ms. Husaini brought her three sons, Haider, 11, Ali, 13, and Mehdi, 15, to say good-bye. The East Windsor mother noted that her sons had been participating in library programs for more than a decade.
   ”She does a great job working with all the kids,” said Maria De Meo, of Hightstown. who attended the tea along with her son, Adan, 5.
   ”She does so much for the community and for everybody here,” said Betty Chin, of East Windsor, who teaches a crocheting class at Hightstown Memorial Library. “She is so sweet.”
   ”A library without Linda is like a house without windows.” said Gary Grub, of Hightstown.
   Ms. Cholewiak’s predecessor, Hightstownian Sandra Johnson said at the tea, “I think she was really dedicated to the library.” Ms. Johnson served as the branch manager for 20 years.
   ”She’s very hard working,” Ms. Johnson added.
   ”I was interested in research and the library,” Ms. Cholewiak reflected. “Both my sisters are librarians and they had very good careers and very positive feelings. And I decided the time was right.”
   She noted the field was a second career for her after first studying and earning a degree inbiology. She then earned a master’s degree in library studies from Rutgers.
   ”The highlight of my career was that I started the digitization of the Hightstown Gazette to be used for research for patrons and staff,” Ms. Cholewiak said. “The digitization of the first 10 reels of microfilm was funded by the patrons of the Hightstown Memorial Library through the Hightstown Library Association.”
   According to Ms. Cholewiak, in 2012, the Hightstown Memorial Branch had an average of 6,065 visitors per month.
   ”I’ve enjoyed working with the staff and patrons of the Hightstown library,” Ms. Cholewiak said. “The interaction with people has been so positive. That’s the high point of my years here.”
   ”I enjoyed being a part of the Hightstown community,” she said. “I’ve made many friends through the library.”