Rockford Public Library’s ‘fountain of knowledge’ to retire after 60 years of digging up history

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — When Jean Lythgoe was a child, learning about the existence of the Rockford Public Library was a magical discovery.

It was shortly after her family came to Rockford from outside of rural Bettendorf, Iowa, in August 1953, when her dad got a job with the Rockford Morning Star newspaper. A visitor from the library came to speak to her elementary class at St. Patrick’s Catholic School.

“By then I’m already loving to read, and I come home and say to my folks, ‘Rockford has something called a public library and you can check out books for free if you bring them back on time,'” Lythgoe said. “To me that was great magic.”

Lythgoe still finds magic in the library decades later. She’s made a 60-year career out of helping people make their own discoveries at the library, building a reputation as the library’s go-to resource for local history research.

“She’s the only person I know who literally knows any question you ask her,” said Erin Stock, a librarian assistant. “She just is the literal term of a fountain of knowledge. It’s just never-ending. She knows everything about Rockford: about every building, every street, what used to be there, what moved. It’s incredible.”

Lythgoe is now set to retire after more than six decades of work with the Rockford Public Library, including the last 19 in the Local History and Archives Room. Her last day on the job is Saturday.

The 78-year-old librarian assistant started as a clerk typist and technical processor on June 7, 1965, when she was just 18. She’s worked in various roles as the library evolved from typewriters and physical card catalogs to computers and digital downloads.

Her colleagues say her passion for local history and digging up elusive details in the archives has made her a legend at the Rockford Public Library.

“Everybody knows Jean and everyone just admires her work,” said Katie Shaffer, a librarian assistant and president of staff organization at the library.

Her enthusiasm for the work is contagious, Shaffer said.

“She gets excited with you, too, when you start to do your own research,” Shaffer said. “She’s the kindest and most selfless and most humble person. She just does it because she cares about it and cares about people.”

Shaffer and her colleagues surprised Lythgoe this week outside of the third floor Local History and Archives Room, where a small display on Lythgoe’s own history with the library is set up. At that celebration on Wednesday, Mayor Tom McNamara presented Lythgoe with a Rockford challenge coin, a small medallion that’s gifted as an official honor from the city.

“When you look at anyone who’s dedicated 60 years of their life to any profession, let alone one that is serving an entire city, they’re deserving of being recognized,” McNamara said. “When you look at what Jean has done of not only providing individuals answers to questions that they’ve long sought after, but also preserving our entire community’s history, she’s most well deserving.

“On top of that, she’s incredibly humble, dedicated and just genuinely cares about the work that she does.”

Rockford Public Library Executive Director Lynn Stainbrook, who is retiring this summer after more than five decades of work in libraries, said Lythgoe was the best of old-fashioned reference librarians. But she also grew with the library as it evolved.

“Jean has been that go-to person at the library,” Stainbrook said. “I think she set a wonderful example for library staff in terms of doing a great job in a library world that’s changed dramatically.”

Stainbrook also gave credit to Lythgoe for the climate-controlled vault that was built inside the Local History Room as part of the recent rebuild of the main library branch.

“I really pushed for the Local History Room to have that special HVAC system to be able to preserve those materials because I’ve seen how valued it has been in this community,” Stainbrook said. “But it’s been valued because we’ve had people like Jean who were triumphing it. …

“Now we have a Local History Room that will last and keep those materials going for another 100 years, and that’s kind of Jean’s legacy as well. She promoted it so much that people were using it.”

Lythgoe shrugs off compliments with a blend of wit and humility.

“God gave me a good memory,” she said of her colleagues praise of her seemingly all-knowing Rockford knowledge. “That doesn’t make me smart. It just means I have a good memory.”

In retirement, you may find her at Royal Hobby Shop, 3920 E. State St., which her husband, Ken, has run since August 1971. The couple has been married for 49 years, and they have one daughter, Mary.

The reason she stayed on the job for 60 years: “There’s always insanity,” she joked before offering a sincere answer.

“There’s so many wonderful people here at the library. They’re great to work with, and we have good coworker relationships and help each other out,” she said. “A lot of it, too, is the fun questions. It’s a challenge. Oh, a new question. Good.”

Libraries have changed since Lythgoe started in 1965, but she said her feeling about them hasn’t.

“There’s still a part of me that sees libraries as magic places,” Lythgoe said. “If I have access to a library and a church and a keyboard and grocery store, what else do you need?”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas