Friends of Madbury Library

A Progress Report

  Since Town Meeting, Madbury’s nascent library has expanded its collection to 550 volumes, mostly through donation, and cataloged almost all of them due to the efforts of librarians Liz Burbank and Ann Metcalf, who put in time-and-a-half hours for volunteer rates. One hundred and thirty-five book signouts have been recorded.

  Changes in the use of the Town Hall have made the Monday evening story hour impracticable: the large room is now in regular use for meetings. Tuesday morning's preschool story hour continues, with Andrea Burzon and Susan Chadwick. The library hours are 8-1, MWF.

  The library trustees (Joan Valentine, Chair, Mayme Trumble, and Craig Seaver) have met a number of times. An early order of business was the adoption of a mission statement:

The mission of the Madbury Public Library is to augment the center of community life, and to enhance that life by:

• Encouraging free and open access to ideas and information in support of learning by people of all ages.
• Encouraging children's reading and learning by way of programs and services.
• Offering materials and programs which complement the interests of the community.
• Providing portals into statewide services and technological information sources.

  The trustees have also put a set of bylaws in place, consulted with librarians and envoys from the state library system, attended trustee workshops, and generally grappled with the problems of small funds, minuscule square footage, no employees, and blessed little prior knowledge. Offsetting these shortages have been plentiful and cheerful advice, dedicated volunteers, seemingly limitless supplies of donated books, and the Friends of Madbury Library. Heartfelt thanks are due to the Friends, anchored by Jean Bartell, Eileen Corrow, Lorraine Morong, Betsy Renshaw, and Peg Wolcott.

  The trustees also met with the selectmen in July to discuss library matters. The upshot of the discussion was that the town hail library space was safe for the time being, and that provision would be made for the library if its room had to be taken for another use. In addition, the selectmen agreed to consider use of the police station or fire station for the library after the safety complex is built, and everyone agreed that the eventual site of the library had to be on or near the civic district. The selectmen expressed willingness to consider library proposals that the trustees might put forth.

  Finally, as most of the foregoing clearly shows, the bugbear of library planning is the lack of a building. In order to appoint a director, hire librarians, expand the collection, install a computer, offer programs, and participate in statewide library operations, a stable, secure, and adequate space is needed. That space could be anywhere, but the best solution is a building constructed as a library. The trustees are aiming toward that goal. Citizens who would have it happen sooner than later may make tax-deductible donations to the Friends of Madbury Library.

Friends of Madbury Library Meeting Dates
Thursday, 7 PM, Madbury Town Hall

• October 11, 2001
• November 8, 2001
• December 13, 2001

Please join us in supporting our new Library!