Tonight, on my cable TV show Let’s Talk, I am interviewing Mary Ellen Jepsen, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Buckland Library, about the new addition which is scheduled to open next week. This is a happy day for me because I served as librarian when the building process began in 2004. And it is a happy day for the town which finally has an ADA compliant library that also has much needed room for the collections, for patrons to browse, for children’s programming AND for the community who will now have a meeting room available even when the Library is not open.
You can see how we needed room! Our story hours were popular even shoehorned into a corner, while adult patrons tried to work at the single public computer.
This was my desk and the area where we stored all supplies, did all the book processing, checked books in and out and helped patrons find what they needed. The library needed room!
The new circulation desk wasn’t in when I took this photo last week, but you can see that there is organized room for book processing and supplies, and interlibrary loan books going in an out. The librarian also has a proper office with sufficient room for administrative files.
You will have to go to the Buckland Public Library on Upper Street to see all the rest of this beautiful building that includes not one, but two handicapped accessible bathrooms. I think there will even be potable water in the bathroom. Library hours are Tuesday 2-8 pm; Friday 1-6 pm and Saturday 9 am – 1pm.
Congratulations to Buckland and to you- how wonderful to see the completion of a long planned and much needed project that will bring great services to the community for the next century! Hip Hip Hooray!
Emily – I took the photos last week so there was still work to do. More photos next week. Maybe Wordless Wednesday.
Oh, Pat, I know how hard you worked to make this happen! I’m happy for all concerned.
Tinky – The library is just as beautiful as I dreamed it would be. I think that is the result of group dreaming. And work.
Pat, Your efforts and needs for more room for books and people reminds me of our Williamsburg struggle for an addition to our library. Congratulations to Buckland!