Introducing Our New Library Director

On Monday, June 3rd, Blynn Currier will report to work at the Skowhegan Free Public Library as the new Library Director. His will be a familiar face to many library users as he has lived in the area all his life. He has taught and worked as librarian in the SAD #54 school system for many years.

Mr. Currier first became interested in Library Science 1962 with his first teaching job, which combined reading and library duties for kindergarten through the 8th grade. At that time he had a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Science. Since then he has earned a Master’s Degree in Library Science. He came to Skowhegan in 1966 when Elizabeth Merrill wrote a grant providing the High School with Remedial Reading and better library facilities. In 1970 he became the High School librarian where he remained for 30 years.

During his retirement he volunteered two days a week at the Redington - Fairview Hospital. It was there that Rick Anzelc, Chairman of the Bloomfield Trust Library Board, saw him and asked if he would help out the Skowhegan Free Public Library as an Director for a short while until someone could be found to take the position. Since that day, he has met with the Library Board, with the former Librarian Helen Shaw, with Assistant Librarian Francoise LaBonte, Children’’s Librarian Lois Moody and with several sub-groups interested in the library. As a result Mr. Currier has come out of retirement, not as an Interim Director, but as Director.

To increase technology - getting the entire collection entered into a computer system.

To weed out books that are damaged, not taken out any longer or are not timely.

Mr. Currier would make that not just more young readers but more readers overall. He has a fifth objective; to get the current staff involved, to get all library supporters going in the same direction. He intends to find out what the community wants and expects of our library. He will study the results of the survey done in 1998 and will conduct his own survey. He will attend all meetings concerning the library; Bloomfield Library Board meetings, Friends of the Library meetings, etc. And he will attend meetings held on the state level as well. When Francoise or Lois wish to attend meetings on library subjects, they will be able to do so. Their expenses will be paid and volunteers will cover their duties for the time required.

One definite plan is to have a genealogy room, which will hold the wealth of material available at the library. He explained that many libraries have small collections of special books that are kept only for certain people. It is a very expensive proposition to run a library and it isn’’t cost efficient to maintain such collections. Therefore, all books will be available to all library users.

Another plan is to invite the Skowhegan Board of Selectmen to meet at the library. This will give them a better understanding of library needs and, hopefully, a willingness to continue to help financially. The same invitation will be extended to the Chamber of Commerce and any other group that wants to come in. The more people who use the library the better.

One thing that bothers our new Library Director is the idea of separate libraries for children and adults. When is a child old enough to go downstairs to take out a book? Don’t the interests of children and adults overlap? A youngster looking up facts for school work may find what he needs downstairs. An adult may find the latest science fiction thriller upstairs. Should there be duplicate books in some areas - one for upstairs and one for down? Where does the division come and is it even necessary? Eventually it will be possible for a patron to go to the library, look up books on the computer - by Title, Author or Subject - and go find it him or herself. The reader may even sign out the book rather than having a librarian do it.

To get to that point, a great deal of work must be done. First, an extensive weeding is necessary. This doesn’t mean that books will be tossed out willy-nilly. Intelligent ways to dispose of books can be found. For instance, there are books that do not circulate much if at all, yet contain valuable historic materials. Rather than taking up valuable shelf space these could go to the State Library, to the University of Maine at Farmington or the Skowhegan Area High School. They would still be available to anyone who needs them. Some books will be of great use to home-schoolers. Valuable old books may be professionally assessed and sold to benefit the library. Other homes may be found for them as well, such as the book sale at the Municipal Building, hospitals and nursing homes.

Then every remaining book will have to be entered into the computer database. This involves the painstaking entry of every book on the shelves and any new books into a computer data base. A complete listing will be shown on computers both upstairs and down. The entry process will take several years even with volunteer help. In the end, it will be possible to print out a complete inventory if necessary. The tedious hand entry of each title into an accession book will not be required.

In fact volunteers will be needed for many duties. They will continue the children’’s summer programs and year round story hour and craft sessions. They will plan and conduct library functions such as the Library Week open house and the December open house. They will cover lunch hours while the staff goes elsewhere for a staff meeting and lunch. They will help patrons with computers and do any other task needed. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Kathy Hughes at 175 James Road, Cornville Maine 04976 or come to the library and sign up.

Lawn Sale 2002

The Friends of the Library held our Third Annual Lawn Sale on Saturday, May 18th. It was a rainy day, but that didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits for long. Our sale was held in conjunction with the Cornville (more than) Six-Mile. of Lawn Sales. Customers come from all over the State of Maine for that sale and they weren’t about to let a little water stop them. Fortunately, Jim and Corrilla Hastings, who generously allow us to hold the event at their home, have a large barn with space enough for everything, even some furniture. Corrilla already had most of the items in place when Mary Stuart and Marcia Granville came to help her set-up and put prices on the larger things. The same three acted as cashiers on Saturday. Matthew Moore and his friend Tim were enormously helpful when it came to moving furniture although their main job was cooking and selling hotdogs. They got up early and worked hard all day, managing to sell more than twice as many hotdogs as ion previous years. The Lawn Sale generated just under $1000 for the Library Renovation/restoration Fund. This would not have been possible without the generous donations of items from all of you. Our thanks to everyone.

SUMMER FUN AT THE LIBRARY

Sponsored by the Friends, a variety of programs for children will be available at the library this summer.

The Summer Reading Club, for ages 4 and up, is organized on a point system. Different numbers of points for various types of books will be recorded on individual reading charts. Participants will have one copy of this reading chart to take home, while another copy will be kept at the library. When the goal of 150 points is reached, readers will receive an invitation to an ice cream party and the choice of a new paperback book. This program will run from June 17 to August 9. The first fifty children to register will receive a voucher for a ticket to a Portland Sea Dogs baseball game, so be sure to come into the library on the 17th or soon thereafter!

Programs of interest to all children will be offered on the five Wednesdays in July at 2 PM. These will include “Living Treasures from the Sea” by Kristine Rinaldi on July 3, “Chalk it Up! Pavement Painting” at the Skowhegan Community Center on July 10, “Discovering Pond Life” by Warren Balgooyen on July 17, “A Magic Show” by Joe Scozzafava on July 24, and “Everyday Life in the 19th Century” at the Skowhegan History House on July 31. Many thanks in advance to these volunteer presenters!

Last but not least, the 10 AM Wednesday morning Story & Craft Hour will continue throughout the summer. An attractive flier describing these programs has been designed and printed by Jean Butler, another volunteer who does so much for the Library. Thank you, Jean!