Lena Nofcier and Evelyn Koffel were partners in life and literacy.
As director of the Lima Public Library during a critical time in its history, Nofcier worked to ensure the community had access to books, while Koffel, a teacher, made sure they could read and comprehend them.
Both retired in 1965, though they soon combined to work on reading programs in the Perry schools.
Nofcier was born Aug. 31, 1895, in Syracuse, New York, the daughter of Peter and Mary Zehr Nofcier. She was a graduate of Asbury College, a private Christian university in Wilmore, Kentucky, and completed further studies at the University of Illinois, where she earned a degree in library science, as well as at the University of Chicago.
After college, Nofcier taught for several years, including at schools in Sebring, Alliance and Canton, where, according to a 1924 Canton city directory, she boarded with the family of Evelyn Koffel, who was born in Stark County in 1909, the daughter of Clifton and Ida Koffel. Like her father, Koffel pursued a career in education, teaching for many years in and around Canton.
Nofcier, meanwhile, took a position as secretary and director of the Kentucky Library Commission in Frankfort, Kentucky, a post she held from 1930 to 1945. While there, she became involved in what became known as the “Pack Horse” library of Eastern Kentucky. Basically, a four-legged bookmobile, with librarians delivering books to remote areas of Appalachia on horses or mules, the project was under the auspices of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration.
“Finding books fell to the localities. And it wasn’t easy,” according to the website blueridgecountry.com. “At the request of the Kentucky State PTA president … PTAs across Kentucky donated used books and magazines. It wasn’t long before word got to Lena Nofcier, the chair of Library Services for the Kentucky Congress of Parents and Teachers, who set up the Penny Fund Plan. The result? $101.70 raised; 131 new books purchased. Over time, donations came from all over the country.”
In June 1950, The Lima News reported that Lima librarian Georgie McAfee, who came to Lima in mid-August 1924 from Evansville, Indiana, would retire in mid-August of 1950.
“The story of Miss McAfee’s years of service in Lima is the story of the library’s growth from a single building, the present main library erected in 1906 (it was opened in 1908), and a staff of three, to the present city-county system of 20 branch libraries and 30 full time employees,” the newspaper noted.
Nofcier, who at the time was head of extension work in the Indiana State library in Indianapolis, was hired to replace McAfee.
“Miss Nofcier’s professional experience included several years as director and executive director of the Kentucky library commission, librarian at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky, before the supervisory work in the Indiana state library,” The Lima News wrote.
The new head of the Lima Library was, the newspaper added, “Well known as an organizer and consultant on library building programs.” She was, in short, just what Lima library officials needed as they worked to replace that vine-covered library building at the corner of Market and McDonel streets, which that had been constructed with funds raised through benefits and donations, including healthy ones from the Federation of Women’s Clubs and Andrew Carnegie.
During a speech to the Lima Federation of Women’s Clubs in October 1954, Nofcier, who described the library as “the People’s University,” noted, “It is a social, educational and religious institution. Wherever there is a library, you will find women’s groups, either sponsoring the library itself or some particular phase of its work.”
In September 1951, the library celebrated the 50th anniversary of the successful movement to build a library, which began Sept. 21, 1901, and was backed by Lima’s art, music and literary clubs. The library became a brick-and-mortar reality when it opened in August 1908.
“The facilities are sadly inadequate to provide ever-increasing services to the public,” The Lima News noted in 1951. “Once again, the library has issued a rallying call, it needs a new, modern and larger building. To achieve this goal, the Lima electorate is being called on to vote ‘yes’ for the $800,000 bond issue proposal at the polls Nov. 6.”
Lima’s electorate voted “no,” and Nofcier and the library board were left to make do. Beginning in December 1951, walls were repaired and the library interior rearranged to make better use of available space. In February 1952, The Lima News reported that the library, “one of downtown Lima’s last ‘vine-covered buildings,’” would soon be stripped bare. Nofcier told the News the vines, beloved by birds, were hastening the deterioration of the brickwork.
As 1954 ended, Nofcier was asked by The Lima News what the prospects were for a new building.
“I’d be awfully discouraged if I didn’t think we had a chance of getting a new library,” she replied, adding that “undertaking such a big project would represent a big challenge, and I’m always happiest when facing a challenge.”
Nineteen fifty-four also saw the arrival in Lima of Nofcier’s longtime friend, Koffel, who was hired as a teacher by the Shawnee board of education in May. Prior to that, Koffel, whose mother died in March 1950, was a frequent guest of Nofcier at meetings of the Altrusa Club and the Lima branch of the American Association of University Women, which Koffel joined in October 1954.
In April 1957, Koffel was instrumental in organizing local elementary school teachers into a reading improvement group.
During their years in Lima, Nofcier and Koffel were avid travelers. A June 1955 photo in The Lima News shows the pair on the deck of the liner SS Castel Felice, preparing to depart New York Harbor for a three-month tour of Europe. The pair, who visited almost every corner of the world, always shared their travel adventures in talks to local groups.
Back home, in November 1956, Lima voters approved construction of a new library. In June 1960 library staff and volunteers began moving into the new building.
“It’s moving time at the Lima Public Library,” The Lima News wrote June 27, 1960. “The staff has happily donned their aprons and started cleaning books and transporting them to the new library at 650 W. Market St. Miss Lena Nofcier head librarian says about the new library, ‘We have worked hard to make it attractive and comfortable, and we hope the public will like it.’”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in late July.
In late 1965, both Nofcier and Koffel retired and almost immediately embarked on a trip to Hong Kong. The following August, Koffel retired from full-time retirement, taking a position as a remedial reading teacher at Perry, soon followed by Nofcier, who became school librarian and a teacher’s aide and eventually a remedial reading teacher.
“Under the direction of Evelyn Koffel and Lena Nofcier, the (Perry) reading laboratory program was redesigned and developed for kindergarten through third grade, replacing the former remedial program which served the upper grades,” The Lima News reported in February 1970.
In May 1970, the News wrote, “Misses Lena Nofcier and Evelyn Koffel moved to Venice, Fla., last week where they have obtained a condominium. The two have been longtime residents of Lima with Lena, the retired head of the Lima Public library, and Evelyn, retired from teaching at Shawnee School.”
Koffel died in Venice in October 1985 and Nofcier in April 1988.
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