About Alethea Helbig...

"'Retired' and 'emeritus' really aren't the right words to describe Alethea Helbig. She retired after 27 years of teaching in the English Department, but she actively continues to work and support EMU. She is familiar to many faculty members as the person whose Office of Research Development workshops on grants they attended since she 'retired.' She continues to research and publish reference books on literature for children and young people, and participates in the Children's Literature Association, particularly contributing to its Phoenix Awards program.

Best of all, she donates hundreds of children and young people's books to the EMU Library for the Children's Literature Collection. This generosity began many years ago and she has given thousands of titles over time. Her donations have enriched the Children's Literature Collection far beyond our purchases to support the curriculum, and as a result, students can use a very wide variety of materials and researchers can study books for children and young people in great depth.

Thanks again, Alethea! "

—Margaret Best, librarian and children's literature bibliographer