Wilton Library Association Newsletter
August 2004
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in this issue
-- Trustee Roster is Almost Complete for 2004-05
-- Reel Wednesdays for Kids
-- Summer Art Exhibition Continues
-- Wilton Library Book Bags for Sale
-- Expansion News!
-- Wilton Reads To Kill a Mockingbird
-- New "Date Due" Receipts
-- New Staff Members
-- Final Session of Yoga for Tots
Hello!
It's hard to believe that August is upon us. If you ask restaurant or grocery store owners, they'll tell you that the summer exodus from Wilton began a couple of weeks ago - parking lots are less crowded and restaurant reservations much easier to come by already. Part of the reason for early vacations may be that school actually starts before Labor Day on August 30th this year. We suspect as well that the upturn in the economy is making more vacations possible, too. And that's "a good thing," as our Westport neighbor is wont to say.August is traditionally a quieter time at the Library as well. After an incredibly jam packed July with courtyard concerts and summer reading entertainment and crafts, we are taking a deep breath before plunging into all that's planned for the fall.
If, like mine, your family stays in town this month, please stop by for a book, a film, an Internet session, an art exhibition, help with research, a comfortable chair in a cool and quiet setting, or simply to chat with your friends and neighbors who are likewise not away. We'd love to see you!
-- Kathy Leeds, Director
Trustee
Roster is Almost Complete for 2004-05
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although we are still awaiting the final appointment by the Board
of Selectmen to our Wilton Library Association Board of Trustees, the
list for fiscal year 2004-05 is almost complete:
Class of 2005
Kevin Black, Nicki Brown, Charles P. Flynn, Karen Kachadoorian, Margaret Reeves,
Robert H. Russell, Jim Saxe
Class of 2006
Virginia M. Benin, Frank Duemmler, Ellen Essman, Tracy B. Flannery, Thomas
Galante, John E. Kennard, C. Andy Pforzheimer, Katharine H. Welling
Class of 2007
David F. Clune, Elizabeth Harleman, Louise Herot, Judith F. Higby, Pamela Hovland,
Greg Jansen, Colleen Kellman, Malcolm S. Whyte
We extend our gratitude to all these talented and hardworking folks and urge anyone interested in serving in the remaining one-year (Class of 2005) slot to contact Selectman Alice Ayers.
Reel
Wednesdays for Kids
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 |
Every Wednesday afternoon during the month, we'll have a feature
film for kids in our Community Room from 3-4:30 pm,
thanks to our sponsor, the Louis Dreyfus Corporation. Complete
with popcorn and lemonade, the movies (and refreshments) are free.
Children five or under need to bring a parent along for the fun:
|
Summer
Art Exhibition Continues
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| If you haven't yet had an opportunity, this month (through Friday,
August 27th) is a wonderful time to see the Library's 60th Annual
Summer Art Exhibit. Hung throughout the lobby and in Adult Services,
the work of more than 40 local artists is a testament to the talent
in our area.
Most of the works are for sale, too, and a portion of the sale price benefits the Library. Stop by and take a look... and bring your checkbook or credit card. |
 |
Wilton
Library Book Bags for Sale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| For the first time in many years, Wilton Library book bags are
on display and for sale at the front desk. Designed to celebrate
the expansion, they feature our "expanding W" artwork, an inside
zippered pocket and plaid lining.
More than half our supply sold in the first two weeks they were available, so be sure to get yours while supplies last. At $10 each, they're a tremendous bargain. |
 |
Expansion
News!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Speaking of the expansion, it's happening! The site of our new
west parking lot (near the ABC House) was cleared and excavation
for the huge drainage system is largely complete. This system will
allow all surface water to be kept on site (the underground concrete
galleries act somewhat like sophisticated drywells), happily making
extensive excavation of Godfrey Place unnecessary.
As soon as the west lot is done, work will commence on our northern parking (between the Library and Fleet Bank) to significantly increase the number of spaces available. Please be prepared for some temporary rerouting of traffic toward the end of the month as this work is going on. |
 |
Wilton
Reads To Kill a Mockingbird
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 |
Continuing our Operation Respect response to the disturbing discriminatory
events that occurred last spring in the schools, the Library will
sponsor a community read of Harper Lee's wonderful classic, To
Kill a Mockingbird, this fall. We will invite students, seniors
and all those in between to join with us in reading (or more likely,
re-reading) the novel, which is sure to assume new relevance for
us all.
As details are finalized, I'll let you know about the exciting ways in which we'll come together to discuss and appreciate the story as Wilton Reads one book as one community. We hope to kick off the community read with several appearances by the actors who played Jem and Scout in the original movie that starred Gregory Peck! Stay tuned... |
New "Date
Due" Receipts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Library is about to discontinue those old familiar "date
due" cards and pockets we have used for decades. Instead, each time they
borrow books or other materials, customers will receive a receipt that
lists all the items they have on loan and the date each is due. For the
first few weeks of the new system, we will hand out Wilton Library magnets
- the perfect way to post the receipts on that "message central" location
in every house (the refrigerator).
The increasing scarcity of parts and cost of repairs for our old "date stamp" machine have forced us to move into the 21st century on this front, but we trust the transition will be an easy one for us all. I know many of you used the date cards as bookmarks and may miss them on that account, so we'll hand out new bookmarks along with the magnets for the next few weeks.
New
Staff Members
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next time you stop by the Library, you may notice some new
faces. We've replaced a number of staff members who moved or retired
and, though we'll miss those who have left us, we're very excited about
those who've recently joined the WLA team:
Carol Lenihan ~~ Carol, a former commercial property
manager now returning to the workforce after raising a family, joins
us as a Circulation Assistant at the front desk.
Christine Mortlock ~~ Christine is working at the
front desk as well and she'll be helping return materials to the
shelves. A recent graduate of UConn who majored in English and art
history, she is currently taking courses in Library and Information
Science at Pratt Institute.
Michael McEaneney ~~ Michael, a former Wall Street
trader now pursuing other interests, will split his time between
the front desk and shelving materials that have been returned.
Tom Swick ~~ Tom, a freelance cartoonist and illustrator
will work on shelving with a special concentration on finding items
that have been misplaced.
Final
Session of Yoga for Tots
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Samantha Alechman, certified instructor and daughter of our own "Miss
Sharrie" will conduct her final summer installment of the popular Yoga:
Building Minds and Bodies for 2- and 3-year-olds on Monday, August 2
from 10:30 to 11:15 am in the Community Room.
Advance registration is required as space is limited, so call or register
online today to reserve your spot. There is a fee of $5 per child with
a $1 savings for Young Readers.
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: library@wiltonlibrary.org
voice: 203-762-3950
web: http://www.wiltonlibrary.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~