October - December 2015 Quarterly Newsletter
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Thank you to all the supporters of the Athenaeum!
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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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You must be careful not to deprive the poem of its wild origin.
Poet Stanley Kunitz said that. You are so lucky to work here!, we hear regularly from visitors from away; folks who are amazed by the spiral staircases, the art collection, the stenciled ceiling, the rare books. Visitors love the stately, composed nature of the Athenaeum. It stays in order. Admittedly, we sometimes forget to notice that we are so lucky. We are not feeling the wild origin of the place within the statelyness. Recently two regular visitors, people I enjoy seeing very much, took me aside to let me know that a contemporary art exhibit in the Gallery disturbed the serenity and consistency of the space. Yes, it does. Slightly. Intentionally. And they are right. I take their comments seriously. So much of life is change. Can't we please have a bit of secular sanctity? Less, perhaps, of the wild origin?
The Athenaeum is a pretty great place to spend a working day. Among the things we do during a regular day are: dust, re-shelve the tumbled books in the Children's Room (again!), clean the bathrooms...put the newspapers on the sticks ...go over the budget figures (let's get those spreadsheet formulas right), update the donor database, cover some new books with plastic, find the bank document in the pile of papers. No wild origin, there.
These are also things we do during a regular day: build the collection, request books that we don't own, mount an exhibit, agree that the woodwork is amazing, (ash, and chestnut, and black walnut), stop by the Raspberry Girl to admire Bouguereau's adept flesh rendering (those are feet!) ... entertain our little people with early literacy techniques disguised as storytelling, design a plan for sustained giving that will ensure our future. Someone is here to talk...maybe complain, maybe check in, sit for a spell, ...hey, one more thing and I'll let you go.... Each of us asks of our regulars, remind me who I am. Kunitz, again. Yes, we are lucky to work here!
I have a picture on my desk of William Thayer sitting in the very spot where I am typing this. He was the Atheaeum's first librarian. He is in his frock coat, left hand to his cheek, writing a note with his right. The photo is a bit posed. His desk is quite neat. (Take a note, Bob). He doesn't look wild in the photo but I am sure he left his desk. Perhaps he was rapturous over Bach's Partita No. 3. I am. (If you have never seen this Nathan Milstein version, do yourself a favor and check it out
Bach's Partita No. 3 - YouTube
). This is the wild origin.
Whether its the sorority of a poet like Gerard Manley Hopkins, or the thirty-three minute live, instrumental Mountain Jam, the backside of the Allman Brothers' great album, Eat a Peach, or admiring those feet, we are all in need of a wild origin reminder. Thanks to all of you who support this institution- we are looking to keep it wild, even when its quite.
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From Board Chair Elinor Levy
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Musings from the Chair
Elinor Levy
October 2015
It has been a busy time at the Athenaeum. It is time to update our aging phone and security systems. The phone replacement is more complicated than anticipated, but moving along. Fortunately, because of a generous bequest from George Cunevalis for such improvements, we have funds to take care of these projects and more.
If we escape any unexpected disasters, and if we make our goal for the upcoming annual fund, we will be on track to finish up the year with a balanced budget (Yeah! --we hope). The annual fund provides a substantial part of our operating budget. It helps to pay for the modest salaries of the staff, for heat, and for books. I was surprised and heartened to learn from our recent survey how many of you would like more books. If we continue to reach our fundraising goals, we will be able to buy more books. If you haven't yet filled out the survey, there is a printed version available at the Athenaeum. Your opinions are important to us.
There has been a lot of activity trying to understand what is causing the Domes of Yosemite painting to continue to sag and pucker. Bob Joly has been in contact with area conservators and art movers or riggers about moving the painting away from the wall so that conservators can see the back of the painting to assess its problem. There might be a simple fix, it could be a major project, or something in between. We won't know which until the conservators can look behind it. The painting does not seem to be in any imminent danger. The sag has been there for several years, although it appears to be slowly getting worse. Rick Kerschner, a long time conservator at the Shelburne Museum has been advising us, as has Chris Hadsel, a former Athenaeum trustee and current member of the Vermont Arts Council. Stay tuned.
Bob is hoping to expand our temporary display space by installing a picture rail on the second floor. The rail is basically a piece of molding from which to hang pictures without damaging the wall. The rail will be painted to match the wall to minimize its visual impact.
I'd also like to welcome Edward Behr to the board. His biography appears elsewhere in this newsletter. Ed writes about food in his magazine
The Art of Eating (copies of which are in the periodical section), and he is working on several books about food. At the same time, I'd like to acknowledge the departure of Sandra Seidel from the board. She has moved out of state. We'll miss her thoughtful participation in our discussions.
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Edward Behr writes about food and wine and is the editor and publisher of the magazine The Art of Eating, which has subscribers in more than fifty countries. He moved to Newark, Vermont, in 1973, as part of the back-to-the-land movement of that time. He lived in various Vermont towns and worked as a carpenter for a dozen years before he realized that he had a deep interest in food. In 1986, he published the first issue of The Art of Eating, which took the form of an eight-page black-and-white newsletter. Slowly, the publication grew, and today it is one of the most respected and influential magazines about food and wine. |
Behr's writing, like the magazine, focuses on taste - the magazine was the first to stress the important connection between taste and place. Behr has written about the most cutting-edge food, but the subjects he cares most deeply about are traditional, above all bread, cheese, and wine. He has written about many of the best farmers and food artisans in France, Italy, and the United States. His article "The Lost Taste of Pork," when it appeared in the magazine in 1999, caused the fast-casual chain Chipotle to switch from conventional to humanely raised pork, creating the first major US market for farmers who produce decent pork, which is also the most delicious.
Behr has been featured in publications ranging from The New York Times and The Atlantic to Forbes and The Financial Times. He speaks internationally on food and culture. He is the author of The Artful Eater, The Art of Eating Cookbook, and 50 Foods: A Guide to Deliciousness. His next book, The Food and Wine of France, will be published by The Penguin Press in 2016. He has been inducted into the James Beard Foundation's Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America. Behr lives in St. Johnsbury with his wife, Kimberly and their sons, Max and Zane.
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 Athenaeum Survey and Public Forum
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The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum conducted a survey in October to find out what its patrons thought about the library, art gallery, collections and services offered to the public.
The survey was conducted online and with printed surveys available in the Athenaeum. More than 100 people responded to the survey, giving the Athenaeum interesting insight into the wants and needs of regular patrons.
"The survey confirmed some of what we were thinking, but there were a few surprises, too," said development officer Scott Davis.
The survey asked patrons to rate their interest and frequency in using certain Athenaeum offerings, such as how often they borrow fiction books, observe the art collection, or attend an event. It asked for suggestions on changes and allowed patrons to enter comments. The survey also asked if patrons were willing to volunteer to help at the circulation desks, become a docent or join the Friends of the Athenaeum.
Among the most common suggestions were increased individual seating in the fiction room and second floor, and improved lighting in the reading areas. Athenaeum Director Bob Joly has already addressed these issues by installing brighter LED bulbs and rearranging seating. Other changes are being discussed for implementation in the near future.
Three major areas which patrons thought could be improved are the number of new fiction offerings, the age of the computers, and the late opening hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Athenaeum staff is addressing these issues and looking toward a resolution in the near future.
The Athenaeum will hold a public forum on Wednesday, November 11 at 7:00 pm to present the results of the survey and discuss ways the Athenaeum can improve its service to the community. We hope you will attend to voice your opinion and support the Athenaeum.
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2015 Raffle Winners!
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The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum announced the winners of the Annual Raffle, which offered three New England hotel/entertainment packages. The Raffle raised nearly $5,000 for the Athenaeum.
Robert and Martha Ide of Peacham, Vermont were the first winners. They selected a two-night's stay at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont.
The 2nd place prize was won by Annette Emerson from Albion, Rhode Island. She chose a night's stay at the Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, Vermont.
3rd place went to Alice Chase of Lower Waterford, Vermont. She won a Boston trip package which included two tickets to the world premiere of A Confederacy of Dunces (featuring Nick Offerman) at the Huntington Theatre in Boston, a night's stay at The Newbury Guest House, and a $100 gift card. Congratulations to all the winners!
Thank you to the members of the Board of Trustees who sold tickets; the Trapp Family Lodge; the Rabbit Hill Inn; and special thanks to all who purchased tickets to support the Athenaeum!
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Athenaeum Says Goodbye to Librarian Bryn Hoffman
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The Athenaeum said goodbye to Librarian Bryn Hoffman
this fall. She had started at the Athenaeum as a volunteer and then became a member of the staff in 2014. Bryn left us to complete her Master's of Library and Information Science at Simmons College. We wish Bryn the best of luck in her future endeavors!
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Athenaeum Welcomes New Librarian
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Christian Collins' library experience includes serving as director of a rural community library in Grafton, New York, and doing French and Arabic language collection development for immigrant populations in New York City with Queens Library's New Americans Program.
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A student of history and foreign languages, Christian spent a year in Syria on a Fulbright Grant in 2006-2007. His time there, and, in particular, his experiences observing the efforts of Syrian artists and writers to promote national dialogue and reconciliation in the hope of averting the bloodshed that even then they saw coming, led him, upon his return to the States, to look for the institutions in our own society that foster dialogue and mutual understanding. Public libraries were a natural fit. He is also a translator whose translations (as C. J. Collins) of Syrian writer Osama Alomar have appeared in literary journals including Ploughshares and Triquarterly, and Alomar's first English language collection, Fullblood Arabian, published by New Directions in 2014.
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Christian's family lives just over the border in Compton, Quebec. He is thrilled to split his time between there and St. Johnsbury, and to get to know the land and people in this unique and beautiful part of the world.
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Culinary Art Books Donated
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The temperature is dropping, holidays are approaching and our thoughts are turning to the warmth and smells of the kitchen. Time to make use of the summer plunder of fruits and vegetables and practice recreating the tastes from those exotic vacation spots we were lucky enough to visit over the spring, summer and fall.
Due to a generous donation we have acquired the newest editions, from the best chefs, of a wide variety of books all about cookery. They will be featured in the new materials areas in the Reading Room and in the new nonfiction area on the second floor. Browse the many choices and take out a few.
Get your spatulas, food processors, baking pans, skillets and Dutch ovens out and prepare to wow! All that is left is to share your culinary creations with good company.
To see a more complete listing : List of New Cookbooks
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New Books
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See what is new in our collection. Many new books have been added in September & October 2015 in both the fiction and non-fiction shelves.
To see a complete listing please go to :
New Book List Sept-Oct 2015
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Upcoming Events for Adults
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1st Wednesdays
- Georgia O'Keefe with James Maroney
Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 7 pm
Georgia O'Keeffe produced more than 2,000 works in her 75-year career. James Maroney, the former head of American Paintings at both Sotheby's and Christie's in New York who appraised her estate after her death, presents a critical evaluation of her best work. Underwriter:Passumpsic Savings Bank-
Member FDIC
Public Forum to discuss Survey Results
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at 7 pm
The Athenaeum will hold a public forum t0 present the results of the survey and discuss ways the Athenaeum can improve its service to the community. We hope you will attend to voice your opinion and support the Athenaeum.
1st Wednesdays - The Literary Achievement of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales with Peter Travis
Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 7 pm
Dartmouth professor Peter Travis discusses the genius, comic wisdom, and enduring humanity of Geoffrey Chaucer, the fourteenth-century "Father of English Poetry."
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News from the Teen Room
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Teen Advisory Board, age 13 or older
Here's an opportunity to really make a difference at the Athenaeum and your community. The Teen Advisory Board (TAB) assists the Youth Services Librarian in making great selections for the Young Adult collection of books, but that's not all! They provide help with programs throughout the year to support the Athenaeum. For example, this year they helped the Friends of the Athenaeum during the Maple Festival and assisted with Family Movie Night. In addition, they reached out to the community by participating in fundraising events such as Relay for Life.
For information or to express interest in joining TAB, please email Adele West-Fisher at [email protected] or call 802-748-8291 x303
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October Events in the Children's Room
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The Literacy Celebration with Jon Gailmor was held on Friday afternoon, October 23, 2015. A crowd of 75-80 people enjoyed the interactive entertainment. In addition to a fun filled afternoon of music, each child left the event with a new book and an Acorn Club tote bag. We could not have offered this event without the support of our sponsors. Thank you!
| Passumpsic Savings Bank |
Friends of the Athenaeum |
TD Charitable Foundation |
On Friday night the Family Movie Night returned with a screening of
Hotel Transylvania. Chil
dren were encouraged to wear a Halloween costume or to dress up like one of the characters from the movie. The movie about friendly monsters was a big hit as Halloween approaches. As always, there was popcorn! Thank you to the members of the Teen Advisory Board for assisting with the event.
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Upcoming Events in the Children's Room
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Toddler Time age infant - 4 years of age
Every Wednesday, 10:30 - 11:30 am in the Children's Room
A time for parents and caregivers to meet, unstructured play, read with your child, puzzles, puppets, art supplies and of course books! Why not plan a play date and meet at the Athenaeum?!
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Acorn Club Story Time age infant - 4 years of age
Every Friday, 10:30 to 11:30 am in the Children's Room
Stories, songs, finger plays, crafts, free play and snacks!
Come spend time with your child, enjoy a few good books and meet other parents and caregivers in the community.
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The DCF(Dorothy Canfield Fisher) homeschoolers book club has just finished their reading of
The Turtle of Oman
by Naomi Shihab Nye . The program will resume in January with
The Fourteenth Goldfish
by Jennifer Holm. Please contact Adele, Youth Services Librarian, at 802-748-829 802-748-8291 X303
or [email protected] if you would like to take part in the next set of discussions. Book club meets Wednesdays from 1:00-2:00 pm in the Children's Room. Space is limited.
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On November 6, 2015 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm the Red Cross is offering free babysitter training to students age 11 to 15 years of age. Participants will receive a Babysitter's Training Manual, an Emergency Guide, and a Babysitter's Training CD. Lunch is provided. Space is limited so you must sign up with Adele, the Youth Services Librarian at 802-748-8291 x303 prior to the class. First come, first served.
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La Leche League Monthly Meeting
Second Tuesday of the month from 10:30 to 12:00 in the Children's room
The mission of the La Leche League is to help mothers to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education & to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother. Pregnant mothers welcome. Siblings welcome. For more information on the monthly meetings at the Athenaeum please contact Adele, Youth Services Librarian at 802-748-829 x303.
For more information on the La Leche League please visit : LLLUSA
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Free Resources for Caregivers
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Are you the caregiver for a child who is age infant to 3 years old at least one day or more during the week while their parents work? Do you know someone who is? The Athenaeum has free educational toys, books and information for you. Please contact Adele West-Fisher, the Youth Service Librarian and make an appointment today to receive your free materials.
Contact Info: [email protected] or call 802-748-8291 x303
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News from the Gallery/Collections
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Claire Van Vliet has been making extraordinary book works in Newark, VT since 1966. She began her Janus Press eleven years before that and is being celebrated for sixty years of amazing work.
In the Athenaeum Gallery we are exhibiting selected broadsides and books from her remarkable career. We are grateful to Claire for the loan of the broadsides. The books are from the John Manges, Jr. collection of Janus Press books permanently held by the Athenaeum. Claire arranged to supplement this collection with a wonderful donation from Ursula Hofer, binder of some of her books, so we now own forty Janus Press works.
Yes, you can investigate, study, be amazed by these books. Contact Bob Joly at 802-748-8291 x301 to arrange a time. The exhibit will run through December.
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Connect with us
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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.
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Friends of the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
for the
Pies! Pies! Pies!
The Friends of the Athenaeum held its Annual Book and Pie Sale during the Colors of the Kingdom Festival on September 19, 2015. It was a beautiful day and the two sales were a smashing success, almost a thousand dollar day! I would like to thank all of those who helped make this possible.
First, the pie makers, many of whom made not one (like Judy Proia's famous Anthony's Diner apple pie), not two, but three or more (Paula Bystrzycki's Academy Culinary Arts students made 12 beautiful pies), the pie stand builders, the pie sellers and of course, the pie eaters. And where would we have been without the pie and book minstrels (Athenaeum's Teen Advisory Board Bards who ventured far and wide to advertise)? We sold out of all our pies in an hour and a half. I apologize to those who went home empty handed. Next year our goal is 100 pies, so if you were not called this year but would like to join in the pie mania next time, please email me right now,
[email protected] and I will add you to the list.
I would also like to thank the "all volunteer" booksellers at Second Hand Prose who sort the books, tag the books, stock the books, price the books and sell the books all year round, but went above and beyond for our 25% off sale. Fundraisers like this event are a success because of the work of many hands. Volunteers are the ones who answer the call when help is needed.
The Friends of the Athenaeum need people who share the common goal of supporting the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum Library and Art Gallery. Contributions can be given in many different ways. Give your time, your financial support, your voice, your wisdom and talent, and your experience. The rewards are many. Become a Friend, help build a community and have some fun at the same time. We provide support at the request of the Athenaeum staff in ways such as funding for youth and adult materials and programming or as a welcoming presence at receptions, events or a bookseller at Second Hand Prose. And last, but not least, a supply of pies for the Athenaeum Annual Pie Sale. Have you sent that email yet?
Remember, the holidays are on their way, and a gift certificate to Second Hand Prose could be just the thing! Don't miss our Victorian Day Program Dec. 12, 2015.
For further information, call Shara McCaffrey 802-748-8291
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Shara McCaffrey
President
Friends of the Athenaeum
smccaffrey@stjathenaeum
For more information on Secondhand Prose please visit their page on the Athenaeum website at:
http://www.stjathenaeum.org/secondhandprose
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Support the Athenaeum Today!
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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
support page at www. stjathenaeum.org.
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Copyright © 2015 - All Rights Reserved.
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