The article details the enduring legacy of Hazel Westgate, a pioneering children's librarian who served the Iowa City Public Library for nearly 40 years until her death in 1988. Westgate's most visible contribution is a unique collection of original children's book illustrations, acquired through personal correspondence with legendary authors and illustrators like Dr. Seuss and Charles M. Schulz, many inscribed directly to her or the children of Iowa City. Her mission was to ensure the artwork reflected the children themselves, fostering a lifelong love of reading and literature.
Today, the collection—renamed in her honor in 2015—is curated by children's services coordinator Angela Pilkington, who continues Westgate's work by adding contemporary pieces. Pilkington faces modern challenges, such as publishers owning illustration rights, but seeks to diversify the collection to better represent the community's changing demographics. Westgate's influence, through her story starters, art contests, and the physical art on the library walls, is credited with helping shape Iowa City's identity as a UNESCO City of Literature.