The Week in Library Land: December 15 to December 21
This was a busy week - but not necessarily in Library Land. Wendy and I packed up and moved from Natick to Medway. Naturally, that took a lot of my time. Thankfully, Adam kept his eyes on the Library Land prize!
That doesn’t mean he visited a lot of libraries, but he was able to participate in one of the most festive of all library events: a grand opening!
The Four Seasons in Lexington.
But first. on Wednesday, Adam returned a book at the Cary Memorial Library in Lexington. Sometimes people think we only use libraries as work, but no, we are regular book-borrowing patrons as well! That place continues to impress (after we barely noticed its charms and features during our rushed first visit). This time, he enjoyed “The Four Seasons,” mural by Aiden Lassell Ripley, which spans some 64-feet across the wall of the front reading. Library Land Score: 4.18.
While I was dutifully signing papers, Adam was racing west to Springfield, MA for the ribbon cutting and opening festivities at the East Forest Park branch of the Springfield public library.
The new East Forest Park branch of the Springfield Public Library on opening day.
Here’s Adam’s on-the-scene report of the festivities:
The speeches (and one poem from Magdalena Gomez) were inspirational and celebratory. Today, they were preceded by the singing of the National Anthem after the flag raising and dedication. Next, the energy of that first tour can't be matched in many other spheres of public life. New friends were made and I saw some old friends from the MBLC and state government.
Adam at work at the new East Forest Park library.
This is an absolute standout branch library. Kudos to the team at Johnson Roberts Associates and all of the folks who made this happen: residents (who were determined to build and leave this legacy after the 2011 tornado), community members, donors, Foundation, MBLC, state/local politicians, and especially the librarians and staff.
As Molly Fogarty, director of the Springfield City Library said, "This was a true community effort. Residents of this neighborhood made this a reality."
The 17K sq. feet (four times the size of the previous area branch) contains a large community room, creative space for teens, huge children's area overlooking the nearby elementary school, makerspace and lots of other places to read, browse, work, think and gather.
Branch Manager Grace Larochelle and her team have much to be proud of - and a place for the community to enjoy and enrich for years to come.
As with the recent work on its Central Library, Springfield continues to demonstrate its commitment to keeping the city’s libraries open, available and accessible. How great is that? Library Land Score: 4.73.
On the drive back, Adam was also able to visit Hubbard Memorial Library in Ludlow. The original 1890 building is a landmark in town. An addition from 1990 probably made it a much more usable building but doesn't have historic charm (modified drop ceilings). There is a large meeting room upstairs (Dungeons and Dragon was underway during the visit), as well as a small conference room. Both have interesting architectural details and windows. The children's area is upstairs and well used. At first, I could only find an elevator to go up and down to the basement where the main adult stacks are kept, but rest assured there are stairs. There is a telescope and camera for a somewhat limited Library of Things. Library Land Score: 3.82.
The Hubbard Memorial Library at dusk.
So many libraries to visit!