I have been trying for several weeks to come up with something to write about. I started twice and never finished either one. I know the weather is always a big one especially when spring will be in Vermont the same day as the calendar date. And that even means this time around that little rodent down in PA was right about spring. But none of it came out right or went anywhere. So I decided to write about a library. Or rather a library that wasn't.
I am sure friends and family are getting sick and tired of hearing about this but I am hoping in writing it down I will finally be able to let it go.
As some of you may know I work for the town I live in. It's not a full time job in fact you would be hard pressed to call it a part time job. Our town is small, very small and I wear 3 different hats. I am a 'lister' (sort of like a tax assessor), the Town Health Officer (which sound more important than it is) and the assistant town clerk (there is one job were I really am clueless). My time is spent in an old one room school house which is now the town office. It is well over 100 years old, falling apart and has very limited space. In fact we have dubbed around for almost 2 years decided whether to renovate the current building, build a new one or purchase our elementary school (which has been empty for 8 years) to use as a town office. And that situation is a whole 'nother story. I will let you know we have another 2 years to make a decision and then the state closes our office. And I don't blame them. Safety issues, health issues, it is not a good building. Anyway I digress.
There were some books. Now some of them were particularly old. Probably not worth a lot but they were part of the original town library. Most of the other books were bad novels. Our town office is very short on space, so I dusted off the oldest books and boxed up the bad novels. Eventually I spoke with someone that served on our 'library committee', asking if a decision concerning the boxed books could be made. We really needed the room. This lead to an article asking for the disbanding of the library committee. There was no active committee, librarian, library and only 125 books.
Before this article came up for vote, we voted in the town offices. Included was a new library committee member. When the article to disband came up, she stood up and spoke to our town having a library. She plucked at the heartstrings of those sentimental beings in town and so the article to disband was voted down. The committee was given a year, till the next town meeting to come up with some type of plan to 'revive' the town library. What happened next was sad.
The newest member got herself elected chair of the committee. She did have the regional library consultant come in and speak at a meeting. She held meetings every month. She sent out letters requesting donations of books, she received donations of books. In fact she gathered together about 4,000 books. She rode roughshod over her fellow committee members in her attempt to create a library. She managed to get the schoolboard to let her use the elementary school to store these books. She spent days handwriting the name of the town library in the books. She had an article published with a picture of her surrounded by the stacks of books but she didn't do the most important things. She had no plan for the library. Other than gathering books there were no plans on how to fund the library. Where would the library eventually go? No plans were ever created when thinking about renovations or building a new town office that included a library. The sad fact is the library had been 'dead' for over 50 years. The committee had only existed because that seem to be the way our town is run. Don't change things. Even if they aren't or don't work.
So I have to admit, the last couple of months before town meeting this year, I fretted and worried. I spent hours emailing, talking and researching libraries. What I found was, libraries are not a room full of books. Libraries are living entities that require someone with training to care for them but most of all, a library which serves its community requires money. And that is something in very short supply in our town.
So when the article came up again this year to disband the library committee I spoke to the question. I admit I did not speak well but well enough that it was voted to disband the committee. Then the eventual question became, 'what do we do with 4,000 books?'
The books came from libraries that could not sell them at their annual book sales. They came from the recycling center. They came from well intentioned people. And now they belong to the town. Well our 'friend' doesn't see it that way. She see them as hers. Well to tell you the truth, I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with the original library books not being back in the town office. The town owns them and they are part of our history. So rightfully they should go back to the town. The rest of the books she may have. I really don't care. Although I do care that she is allowed into our elementary school and is using that building as her private storage area.
To end this whole drama-rama, the majority of books are now back at our town office. Two are not accounted for but that is okay. I have two boxes of books for recycling and there are plans in the works to do some housekeeping down at the old town office. Time to rid ourselves of things kept for keeping sake.
Some times you have to move forward in this world. Our town long ago lost the ability to have a library but we do have the ability to keep some things of days gone by. We have the original charter, letters and notes dating back to the 1700's, we have pictures. These are the things we need to save. They are very much real and touchable. The library was not.
Let's hope that a decision is made soon so these things will be preserved and given a place of honor for us to remember the settlers of our town and the past residents that worked so hard to keep this little dot on the map.
Thanks for listening to my rant. I feel like maybe, we have a foot in the 21st century.
I am sure friends and family are getting sick and tired of hearing about this but I am hoping in writing it down I will finally be able to let it go.
As some of you may know I work for the town I live in. It's not a full time job in fact you would be hard pressed to call it a part time job. Our town is small, very small and I wear 3 different hats. I am a 'lister' (sort of like a tax assessor), the Town Health Officer (which sound more important than it is) and the assistant town clerk (there is one job were I really am clueless). My time is spent in an old one room school house which is now the town office. It is well over 100 years old, falling apart and has very limited space. In fact we have dubbed around for almost 2 years decided whether to renovate the current building, build a new one or purchase our elementary school (which has been empty for 8 years) to use as a town office. And that situation is a whole 'nother story. I will let you know we have another 2 years to make a decision and then the state closes our office. And I don't blame them. Safety issues, health issues, it is not a good building. Anyway I digress.
There were some books. Now some of them were particularly old. Probably not worth a lot but they were part of the original town library. Most of the other books were bad novels. Our town office is very short on space, so I dusted off the oldest books and boxed up the bad novels. Eventually I spoke with someone that served on our 'library committee', asking if a decision concerning the boxed books could be made. We really needed the room. This lead to an article asking for the disbanding of the library committee. There was no active committee, librarian, library and only 125 books.
Before this article came up for vote, we voted in the town offices. Included was a new library committee member. When the article to disband came up, she stood up and spoke to our town having a library. She plucked at the heartstrings of those sentimental beings in town and so the article to disband was voted down. The committee was given a year, till the next town meeting to come up with some type of plan to 'revive' the town library. What happened next was sad.
The newest member got herself elected chair of the committee. She did have the regional library consultant come in and speak at a meeting. She held meetings every month. She sent out letters requesting donations of books, she received donations of books. In fact she gathered together about 4,000 books. She rode roughshod over her fellow committee members in her attempt to create a library. She managed to get the schoolboard to let her use the elementary school to store these books. She spent days handwriting the name of the town library in the books. She had an article published with a picture of her surrounded by the stacks of books but she didn't do the most important things. She had no plan for the library. Other than gathering books there were no plans on how to fund the library. Where would the library eventually go? No plans were ever created when thinking about renovations or building a new town office that included a library. The sad fact is the library had been 'dead' for over 50 years. The committee had only existed because that seem to be the way our town is run. Don't change things. Even if they aren't or don't work.
So I have to admit, the last couple of months before town meeting this year, I fretted and worried. I spent hours emailing, talking and researching libraries. What I found was, libraries are not a room full of books. Libraries are living entities that require someone with training to care for them but most of all, a library which serves its community requires money. And that is something in very short supply in our town.
So when the article came up again this year to disband the library committee I spoke to the question. I admit I did not speak well but well enough that it was voted to disband the committee. Then the eventual question became, 'what do we do with 4,000 books?'
The books came from libraries that could not sell them at their annual book sales. They came from the recycling center. They came from well intentioned people. And now they belong to the town. Well our 'friend' doesn't see it that way. She see them as hers. Well to tell you the truth, I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with the original library books not being back in the town office. The town owns them and they are part of our history. So rightfully they should go back to the town. The rest of the books she may have. I really don't care. Although I do care that she is allowed into our elementary school and is using that building as her private storage area.
To end this whole drama-rama, the majority of books are now back at our town office. Two are not accounted for but that is okay. I have two boxes of books for recycling and there are plans in the works to do some housekeeping down at the old town office. Time to rid ourselves of things kept for keeping sake.
Some times you have to move forward in this world. Our town long ago lost the ability to have a library but we do have the ability to keep some things of days gone by. We have the original charter, letters and notes dating back to the 1700's, we have pictures. These are the things we need to save. They are very much real and touchable. The library was not.
Let's hope that a decision is made soon so these things will be preserved and given a place of honor for us to remember the settlers of our town and the past residents that worked so hard to keep this little dot on the map.
Thanks for listening to my rant. I feel like maybe, we have a foot in the 21st century.
