AUBURN — A former school librarian will receive the Volunteer of the Year Award Tuesday, May 28, at the annual meeting of the Androscoggin Historical Society.

Connie Hitchcock, Lewiston, will be recognized for her work in organizing the library at the society’s museum, located on the third floor of the county courthouse, 8 Center St.

Hitchcock was born in Lewiston and attended schools there, graduating from the University of Maine at Orono and earning a degree in library science at Rutgers University.

She was a school librarian in New Jersey for 23 years and is a former president of the New Jersey School Librarians Association. She and her husband retired from their jobs two years ago and bought a home in Lewiston, a few blocks from where she grew up.

Hitchcock said she first learned about the historical society while attending a cemetery tour last fall. She responded to an appeal for volunteers and began reorganizing the library in December.

Working one day a week, sometimes more, she has rearranged the local history, genealogy and biography sections and other records. Each section is labeled so that library users can find books and other materials quickly, and duplicate materials have been set aside for a collections committee to review.

One of her most unusual discoveries was an original copy of the Auburn city charter and ordinances, dated 1869, the year that Auburn became a city.

She said, “This library is a hidden treasure, and word about that needs to get out to everybody.”

Her husband, Bob, a quality control inspector for AT&T before he retired, likes to do woodworking and has helped Connie in the library by renovating battered bookcases. The couple have two adult children and one granddaughter.

She was a personal trainer in New Jersey and works out at a gym regularly, does needlework and gardening, sings in the Androscoggin Chorale and likes to read historical novels, especially those set in the Victorian era.

For information about the annual meeting and dinner, call 784-0586.

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