In South Windsor High School’s library media center, you will find multiple faculty and staff members passionate about aiding students: among whom, for over 25 years, was media aide Joyce Hilton. Mrs. Hilton’s impact on the South Windsor literary community and the number of contributions she has made showcase her commitment and passion for literature and will be detailed in this tribute to her legacy.
Mrs. Hilton has been surrounded by books her whole life. Her fervor for literature led her down the rewarding path of library management.
“I’ve always loved reading,” Hilton told The Prowl. “When I was interviewed [at the public library], they asked me why I wanted to work there. I told them that for me, it would be like working in a candy store – I still feel the same way.”
Mrs. Hilton’s journey started at South Windsor Public Library, where she held a position for over 30 years.
“One day, I was in the South Windsor Public Library and my neighbor (who worked there) told me that the library had created some new positions for adults and recommended that I apply – which I did. That was in 1994 and I still have that job today,” Hilton explained.
Mrs. Hilton’s career at SWHS primarily involved aiding students with research and technological issues.
“My role here has changed over the years. When I started, we had overhead projectors and one set of laptops that we rolled around in a huge cart to different classrooms as needed. Research was done with print materials,” she told The Prowl. “We had microfilm, microfiche, and a room filled with five years of magazines that could be used and cited as source material . (That database is currently available online). Now, very little research is done with print, but we do have an impressive collection of fiction, poetry, and classic fiction.”
One of the burdens of a media aide is keeping up with modern technology in order to be able to help struggling students. Whether it’s Chromebooks or 3D printing, Mrs. Hilton has been able to quickly adapt to and master rapidly evolving technology.
“We have learned a lot about chromebooks since then, thanks to all the teachers who are so kind to me when I try to get the repaired chromebooks back to the students,” she said. “We branched into 3D printing [as well].”
South Windsor High School staff members can testify to Mrs. Hilton’s achievements.
“No matter what was happening, Joyce was always available for students. That says everything about who she is. In a building full of moving parts, Joyce was a constant—someone students trusted and adults relied on,” Associate Principal Mrs. Jessica Serrano said. “She met every new student, every year, and quite literally touched all 14,000 books in the library as the steward of the catalog and keeper of order.”
Mrs. Joyce Hilton will be missed dearly by the South Windsor High School community, but her legacy will remain within the walls of the Media Center.
Media aide Joyce Hilton sitting at her desk in the library media center (Vaishnaavi Bhaskar)
