 January -March 1, 2015 Quarterly Newsletter |
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Thank you to all of the donors who made our 2014 Annual Fund Drive a success.
We greatly appreciate the support of our generous patrons, with your help we exceeded our 2014 goal!
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St. Johnsbury Athenaeum and William W. Thayer, Librarian
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From Athenaeum Director Bob Joly
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Happy New Year to All
We are reintroducing our quarterly newsletter this year. Look for it in email or print versions. We will focus on staff and board member activities, the collections, event plans and reviews, and musings.
Fish or cut bait
When I was teenager I had a disagreement with my girlfriend's sister as to lyrics sung by the munchkins in the Wizard of Oz. We got so heated we made a bet. My girlfriend tried in vain to be peacemaker, correctly understanding that I was blowing my introduction to the family. But we carried on arguing. (The sister now engages in the practice professionally though in weightier matters through her own firm.) Though it was my first visit to their home, I was so convinced I was right I pushed the point. She said, Lullaby League, only!, I said, Lullaby League and Lollipop Guild! How did we answer the question? We watched and listened carefully to the scene in question, the primary source. (My girlfriend did succeed in preventing the transfer of $10 from her sister to me. Good call.) Had we not been watching the movie I would have gone to the local library the next day and looked for something like The Complete Wizard of Oz Movie Book, or some-such title, hoping to see the song lyrics listed therein. Today we'd have marched off ten paces, turned and fired our phones at each other, music and lyrics blazing.
For a while now, 14 full years and counting, there has been the question of what the 21st century library is to be in contemporary society. Not to mention the question of what is an Athenaeum's role. Why the question, at all? We still have the old valuation, right? Consider the above example and these: Want a great recipe for pate', look one up online. What is Vladimir Putin up to in Ukraine? Google it. Twerking? Click on images. Or not, Yikes! What is the 21st Century Library to be when you've got a rocket in your pocket with instant access to information? Competition is keen for information preeminence. You can download this second, answer every question imagined, keep yourself up all night with excessive blue light while searching for sleep suggestions. Instant, 24-7, candy at the checkout counter. And there is the good and marvelous on the internet, as well. How do we compete?
After considerable bait cutting...we believe the fishing is good at the library. Certainly, the role of a library is changed from its historic place of information and edification epicenter, and, like public school, the great equalizer. And Athenaeum is not just a high fallutin' word for library. This Athenaeum, from its founding, was a lecture hall, an art gallery, and a circulating library. The three components were equally important. They remain equally important. We have novels, paintings, readings, newspapers, cds, databases, rare books, computers. We have funny, attentive, knowledgeable librarians at the circulation desks. We have engaged, articulate docents in the gallery. We have patrons who are our friends, who come here to see us and each other. We are a commons, with real things. Consider Horace Fairbanks' words: My highest ambition will be satisfied and fullest expectation realized, if now and in the coming years, the people make the rooms of the Athenaeum a favorite place of resort for patient research, reading and study. He didn't say, the only place. He said, a favorite place. The rocket in the pocket is here to stay. So is quiet and contemplation and comradery. Happy fishing!
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Help to Build the Library Collection You Want!
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Help Create a Great Library: Become a Collection Advisor
A great collection is only great if it gets used. You can help us build a collection that you want to use. Want a book ,CD or DVD on a certain cuisine, location, meditation practice, sport, construction technique, personality, historic period, artist, music, you name it? Advise us on it. We are expanding a practice of using community members to play a key role in the development of the adult collection. For years we have used adopt-an-author, and adopt-a-book programs to bring popular materials into the collection. (See details below). We will continue those programs and add the role of Collection Advisor to insure much greater community involvement with our library collections. Collection Advisors will review specific areas of the current collection and suggest materials of particular merit that should be considered for addition. We are looking for advisors for both fiction and non-fiction works in print and audio-visual formats. Contact Bob Joly at 748-8291 x301 or at [email protected] for specifics.
Adopt- An-Author/Book Program
Through the generosity of our patrons we have been able to offer a fuller selection of the works of favorite authors and particularly noteworthy materials. Due to the many new authors on the scene, the loss of some of our long-time favorites and the popularity of audio formats, we are renewing this program. We are offering patrons the opportunity to insure that their favorite authors, new or old, become a mainstay in our collection.
Here's how it works:
- You "adopt" an author or a particular item by agreeing to purchase, at library discount, titles published annually by your "adopted" author (usually one or two per year), or a specific book, CD, or DVD. You can designate print or audio formats for books.
- We place a book plate with your name inside, or the name of someone you are honoring, and you get it first, before it goes into circulation!
The end result is that the library will always have your favorite book, author or movie, and you will get your hands on the items right away - no waiting! Consider adopting a subscription of your favorite magazine as well! Contact Shara McCaffrey at 748-8291, or at [email protected] for specifics.
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Check out our current selections from these authors and if you would like to read more please consider adopting! Cheryl Strayed
| Gillian Flynn
| David Baldacci
| Michael Connelly
| John Sandford
| Diane Gabaldon
| John Grisham
| Mary Roach
| Ken Follett
| Anthony Doerr
| Jojo Moyes
| Sandra Brown
| Andy Weir
| Atul Gwande
| Marilynne Robinson
| Laura Hillenbrand
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| Tess Gerritsen
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From the Board Chair, Elinor Levy
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Athenaeum Board Chair musings
December 2014
Greetings to the Athenaeum community. I became the new chair of the Athenaeum Board at our November meeting and continue to chair the Collections Commitee. I also serve as board liason to the Friends of the Athenaeum. As a member of the Friends, I volunteer at Second Hand Prose. The Athenaeum is a wonderful institution and I am very proud to head the Board. Horace Fairbanks has left us with a great gift but also with a responsibility to remain a center for learning and culture with an eye to excellence. Visitors are always amazed that a town of our size has such a treasure.
Bill Marshall will continue on the Board as Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Development Committee. He has been a great help during this period of transition. We will be saying goodbye to Brenda Marie Wilkins, Sue Quatrini, and David Gile who are leaving the Board. They have worked hard and served us well. We also welcome five new members to the Board: Shanon Lenzini, Kathy Moritz, Denise Scavito, Mary Swainbank, and Wes Ward. Brief bios of a few of our new board members appear below. They bring a range of experiences and expertise.
At the same meeting at which I was elected, we also approved what we are hoping will be a balanced budget for 2015. If we can achieve this, it will be the first time this has happened in over a decade. We will consider the budget balanced when expenses for the year are matched by income for the year, with no more than 5% of the endowment being withdrawn. In order to do this and put the Athenaeum in a financially sustainable position, we will need both the continued support of the town and continued contributions from our supporters. Establishing financial sustainability is a very high priority.
Over the past many years, the Athenaeum has been rescued over and over again by generous bequests. In the coming year, we hope to formalize planned giving options. There are many ways that giving can be crafted to serve both the Athenaeum and the donor. If you would like to find out more or let us know your thoughts, please contact me, Bill Marshall, or Bob Joly. Become a founding member of the Horace Fairbanks Legacy Society.
The Athenaeum also greatly appreciates the volunteers who staff the Gallery, shelve books, cover the desks at lunchtime, run Second Hand Prose, and do so much more. We are always interested in new volunteers helping directly at the Athenaeum or indirectly with the Friends of the Athenaeum.
In the new year, I look forward to working with the board and staff, and to meet many of you.
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Board of Directors - New Members in 2015
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Mary Ide Swainbank grew up in Danville, VT and graduated from Danville High School in 1965. She attended Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio and graduated with a BA degree in 1969, and from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee campus with a Masters in Library Science in 1980. She has enjoyed a career as a librarian beginning at the University of Wisconsin - Washington County campus in West Bend, Wisconsin. In 1980 she moved to Lebanon, NH where she continued her career as a school librarian in the K-12 school in South Royalton, VT, and then for 21 years as the Media Specialist at Mascoma Valley Regional High School in Canaan, NH. In 2007 Mary and her husband Dan retired to a house that they designed and had built on a hill in North Danville.
Along the way, Mary and Dan had two children, and now greatly enjoy four grandchildren. Both of them are members of the Danville Congregational Church and are very active with NEK Habitat for Humanity. She enjoys cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and hiking, and has climbed most of the 4,000 foot peaks in the White Mountains.
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Wesley E. Ward, owner of Express Fleet Service, Inc. has been a contributing community member providing quality auto repair services in the Northeast Kingdom since 1981. Express Fleet Service, Inc. is the corporate entity for Express Fleet Service, Wes Ward Auto Repair and Westward Equipment Service all located in St. Johnsbury.
Wes graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1975 and enlisted in the US Army where he was an equipment operator. Wes was honorably discharged and returned to St. Johnsbury to start a family and business. While running his automotive business, he completed and received his Bachelor's Degree in business from Lyndon State College.
In April 2002, Wes was selected to serve on the Parts Plus National Car Care Center Advisory Council. This is an appointed position yet the service on the council is entirely voluntary. The true significance of this appointment is that nationally only 9 persons serve on this prestigious board.
Wes is very active in the community. He has participated both individually and as a company in Caledonia County Relay for Life since it began in 2005. Wes has also consistently volunteered at the annual Willoughby Lake Dip which is a key fundraising event for the local American Cancer Society. Wes is a member of the St. Johnsbury Kiwanis Club where he has served as President and participates in all of the major fund-raising activities and events. He has served on work crews to get the Kiwanis Pool up and running each year and actively solicits new members to keep the club energized. Wes is an active member of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce where he has served as President and is currently a trustee on the Chamber Board. Wes has been a mentor for NEK Youth Services and is currently serving as a Guardian ad Litem protecting the interests of "at risk" children in Caledonia County. In 2009 he earned the Governor's Award for Outstanding Community Service.
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Looking for a Few Good Poems! |
PoemTown St. Johnsbury
This April St. Johnsbury will join the statewide poetry celebration in recognition of National Poetry Month as a satellite site for Montpelier's PoemCity.  |
Upcoming Events for Adults |
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First Wednesdays Series: The White Mountain Huts,
with Professor Allen Koop
Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at 7 pm in the gallery
Dartmouth professor Allen Koop explains the Appalachian Mountain Club's hut system in New Hampshire, and how the huts and their people have formed a society with its own history, traditions, and legends.Frankenstein discussion group
Thursday, January 8th from 7-8:30pm. A discussion of the classic novel. It's free and open to all.
Arts and Culture Series: The Front Lines of Womanhood, with author Leah Carey
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at 7 pm in the Gallery
Author Leah Carey speaks on what almost every woman knows: the experience of feeling unsafe. Her book tells the stories of ten women who talk of harassment and assault, but also about their hopes and vision for a healthier future. We are women, and we matter. Series Sponsor: Philip and Marylou Meyer.
First Wednesdays Series: The Shia-Sunni Divide in Islam,
with Former Iranian Ambassador to the UN- Mansour Farhang Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at 7 pm in the gallery
Former Iranian Ambassador to the UN Mansour Farhang examines the origin and contemporary revival of this 1300-year-long divide and explores how contemporary challenges facing states and societies in the Middle East exacerbate the animosity. Underwriter: Vermont Council on World Affairs.
Arts and Culture Series: The Third Watch - A Novel, with Roger Damon
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 7 pm in the Gallery
Roger Damon will read from his new World War II based novel The Third Watch and discuss the writing process. Series Sponsor: Philip and Marylou Meyer.
Poetry Open Mic
Saturday, February 14, 2015 at 1 pm in the gallery Save the date for our Poetry Open Mic featuring Bill and Sharon Biddle. There will be 10 open mic slots. Sign up at the Athenaeum or via email at: [email protected]First Wednesdays Series: Merton, Meditation, and More:
The Appeal of Buddhism in the West, with professor Elizabeth Morrison
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 7 pm in the gallery
The Buddhist tradition is well-established in the United States, among Buddhists and others, such as Catholic monk and author Thomas Merton, who engaged in Buddhism without conversion. Middlebury College religion professor Elizabeth Morrison considers what has emerged from the West's encounter with Buddhism. Underwriter: Gil Steil Associates.
Arts and Culture Series: Gaming Culture with Robby Gilbert
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at 7 pm in the Gallery
Robby Gilbert, M.Ed., Department of Visual Arts at LSC will discuss the many aspects of contemporary gaming culture. Series Sponsor: Philip and Marylou Meyer.
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News from the Teen Room
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News from the Teen Room:
In 2015, we will continue to involve and engage local teens through our Teen Advisory Board, which meets monthly to discuss YA collection development, programming, fund-raising, and more!
New additions to our Teen collection include: Don Bredes' Polly and the One and Only World, Barry Lyga's Blood of My Blood (I Hunt Killers: Book Three), Sailor Moon: Volumes 1-6 manga, and My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories audiobook.
Teen Advisory Board meeting
Date and time to be announced. For more information please contact Laura McClenachan, the Youth Services Librarian, at [email protected].
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Here is our Library Lion enjoying a book during
the Stuffed Animal sleepover of 2014
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News from the Children's Room
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Storytime
Every Friday 10:30 in the Children's Room News from the Children's Room:
We are looking forward to an exciting and inspiring 2015 in the Children's Room! Our focus will continue to be placed on promoting the importance of early literacy development in young children (ages 0-6) through our Acorn Club programs. Acorn Club programs currently include outreach services provided to daycares, preschools, and other local organizations as well as a weekly storytime at the Athenaeum (Fridays at 10:30AM.) Programs that foster creativity and engage students in kindergarten through eighth grade (homeschool, public, and private) are in development. Focus in 2015 will also be placed on strengthening our collection and continuing to offer materials that enrich the lives of children of all ages. Keep your eyes peeled for a new monthly themed display in the Children's Room that will spotlight interesting pieces of our collection and don't forget to check out our display of new books! Some of the books that just arrived include: Marie-Louise Gay's Any Questions?, Rick Riordan's The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus: Book Five), Jennifer Bryant's The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, and Katherine Rundell's Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms. If you have any questions or comments regarding the Children's Room please contact Laura McClenachan, the Youth Services Librarian, at [email protected].
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News from the Gallery/Collections
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Eight works by Claire Van Vliet have been loaned to the San Francisco Center for the Book for an exhibition titled Janus Press at Sixty that will open on February 14, 2015. Circulus Sapientiae is pictured below. If you are interested in learning more about this show please visit the San Francisco Center for the Book at : https://sfcb.org/ and see the exhibition details on the home page.
  The Burlington Free Press did an article on Claire Van Vliet last Spring. To see it in full please visit the link below: http://archive.burlingtonfreepress.com/Meet Claire-Van-Vliet-
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Connect with us |
 Did you know that we're on Facebook? We post book reviews, library events, links to our YouTube videos, great old photos and much more. |
Support the Athenaeum Today!
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 The Athenaeum annual fund drive was quite successful this year, but this historic institution needs your ongoing support in order to continue to offer great services and events. Please consider becoming a supporting patron of this unique resource for our community. To make a donation online, visit our home page at www. stjathenaeum.org. |
Friends of the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum
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Secondhand Prose sells quality used books at 1222 Main Street in St. Johnsbury, VT. The shop opened in October 2006 as a fundraising effort by the Friends of the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, on behalf of the beautiful library and art gallery just across the road.
Staffed by dedicated volunteers, Secondhand Prose welcomes the books that neighbors and visitors donate. Raising support for the Athenaeum through selling these books is their entire mission.
The Friends of the Athenaeum continues to work with Operation Paperback. This non-profit organization collects gently used paperbacks nationwide and sends them to American troops overseas, as well as to veterans and military families here at home. Several times a month, Secondhand Prose volunteers will respond to requests from military personnel through Operation Paperback and ship books as requested. Books can also be dropped off at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. More information on this great cause can be found at: http://www.operationpaperback.org/
As always any help provided to defray the mailing costs is greatly appreciated. You can make a donation via check, payable to Friends of the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, and mail it to 1171 Main Street, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 or drop it off at the Athenaeum's front desk. Make sure to add "Operation Paperback" as a note on your check. Thanks for your support. For more information on Secondhand Prose please visit their page on the Athenaeum website at: http://www.stjathenaeum.org/secondhandprose
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The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum
A National Historic Landmark Library and Art Gallery
Established 1871
1171 Main Street - St. Johnsbury VT 05819 - (802) 748-8291
Monday - Wednesday - Friday Open 10:00 AM. to 5:30 PM
Tuesday - Thursday Open 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Saturday Open 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Sunday Closed
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Copyright � 2015 - All Rights Reserved.
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