As a former children's librarian, Teri Aaron had a special affinity for children's books. She admired their charm, artistry, and scholarly merit, but she knew their true value lay in opening the doors to reading and learning for countless young minds. Thus, she valued the children's literature collection in the Charles E. Young Research Library Department of Special Collections less for the pristine condition of its contents than for the traces these treasured volumes bore of eager children's hands turning their favorite pages over and over again. Mrs. Aaron and her husband, Roy, were committed Bruins, and her interests ranged from football and basketball games to performances at Royce Hall. When Mrs. Aaron passed away in 2003, her wish to be remembered combined her two enthusiasms for UCLA and for children's books. In her honor scores of friends and family established the Theresa G. Aaron Endowed Collection in Children's Literature to pay tribute to her kind, gentle spirit, her great love of young people and the books that help shape them, and her dedication to UCLA. The endowment will enable the Library to continue to build its holdings of historical and contemporary materials for children and to make them accessible to future generations through careful conservation and preservation.
