The library collection of Dr. Margaret Hill, former First 5 San Bernardino Commissioner and education icon who passed away last year, has been donated to the San Bernardino County Library system.
Dr. Hill, a treasured community member, educator and passionate advocate for learning and literacy, had quite a collection of books, explained Executive Director of First 5 San Bernardino Karen Scott.
As an expert in the field of education, Dr. Hill was frequently interviewed by journalists seeking her opinions including her thoughts on how students, parents and teachers could address educational challenges. “Dr. Hill urged students to read more to help build their vocabularies and comprehension,” Scott recounted. “Margaret always emphasized that reading together with your kids is critically important to positive child development and educational success.”
Approximately 200 donated books spanning a variety of topics will be distributed throughout the county’s library system, according to Leslie Tepe, regional manager, San Bernardino County Library.
In 2015, Dr. Hill became a published author herself with a book titled “From Sharecropping to Non-Stopping: Reflections on Life from a Veteran Educator.” From a two-room school house to earning college degrees, her book offers a sense of what it was like growing up in poverty in the South. It narrates how Hill overcame these challenges and others as she became an adult, a teacher and an administrator.
“On behalf of our community’s beloved Margaret Hill, First 5 San Bernardino thanks our San Bernardino County partners for helping to continue Dr. Hill’s legacy. From our personal friendship of more than 40 years, I know this would have made her very happy,” Scott concluded.