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BIXBY BULLETIN NEWSLETTER
March 2023
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All good things must come to an end, and for us, this means that our beloved Adult Librarian, Laksamee Cave, will be spending her last official day at the Bixby on Thursday, March 23.
I hope you agree that it makes it easier to feel supportive of her departure when you learn she is moving on to take a full-time role at the Middlebury College Library as their new User Experience and Design Librarian. She’ll tell you more in her post, but suffice it to say that she is leaving to do great things for the students of Middlebury College, and we couldn’t be prouder of her and happier for her next chapter.
Now that I’ve been gracious, let’s be honest; we are as devastated as you are that she is abandoning us! As the senior librarian, she has patiently trained each staff member with all the ins and outs of the Circulation Desk. One of the most important things we worked on during the pandemic was increasing access to digital resources that you could safely access from home. Laksamee was the brains and brawn behind all that expansion that continues to this day, including making it as easy as possible for you to make good use of them (which you are, right?).
Laksamee has earned a well-deserved reputation for understanding and investing in the titles you really want. You should also know that she’s been methodically expanding her book-buying to find the books that you may want to read by filling the Bixby's shelves with a selection of titles from a variety of award-winning categories. That’s just one of the many ways she has been understanding, serving, and helping you through and out of this pandemic.
From the bottom of my heart, Laksamee, thank you for everything you have given to this Bixby library community and me. We'll miss you and wish you all the best. Hope to see you and your family often.
Warm regards,
Catharine
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What's New at the Library? |
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Creativity Abounds at the 5th Annual LEGO Contest & Exhibit |
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Saving Clothes from the Landfill at the Repair Fair |
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Thanks to everyone who came out on a snowy Saturday for the ACSWMD Clothing Repair Fair! Over 20 volunteers mended pants, repaired jewelry, and helped swap clothing to promote sustainable practices within the community.
Are you interested in mending your clothes or making your own? Check out our Singer sewing machine, knitting kits, or crochet kits from the Library of Things. These items are free to borrow with your Bixby Library card. |
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Celebrating the Women of the Little City |
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We're pleased to collaborate with the Vergennes Partnership and Vergennes merchants to celebrate Women's History Month. Many thanks to our History volunteer, Eloise Beil, for tapping into our historical collections to feature these amazing women (more about Eloise below). You can read about the lives of Lois Noonan, Margaret Foley, Philomene Daniels, Ruth O'Connor, Sarah Fishman Gould, and Delia Webster in this publication. |
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Portraits of Eliza and Franklin Haven on Display at the Bixby
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Thanks to a 2023 Community Grant through Co-operative Insurance Companies and Gaines Insurance Agency, the beautiful oil portraits of Eliza and Franklin Haven have been acquired by the Vergennes Historical Society from antique dealer Greg Hamilton of Stone Block Antiques. Three generations of the Haven family ran a clothing and household goods store on the corner of Main and Maple Street in Vergennes for 85 years ( Addison Independent).
We're proud to be the first public hosts of the Haven family portraits in the Bixby's Half Round Room upstairs before they move on to local schools and colleges.
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Volunteer Spotlight: Eloise Beil |
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A big thank you to Bixby volunteer Eloise Beil for leading the Pysanky Egg Decorating Workshop last Saturday and teaching participants about this fascinating Ukrainian tradition.
Eloise, a museum professional, artist, and Bixby History Team member, also collaborated with Julie Basol of the Vergennes Partnership in celebrating women's history month by highlighting six formidable Vergennes women of the past. In this publication, you can read about the amazing Little City women, including former Bixby Library Director Lois Noonan. |
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Do you have a fun memory of the Bixby Library? Share your stories with us, and we might feature them in our next newsletter! Ferrisburgh resident and Long Point researcher John Leidy recently shared his tale with us, much to our delight. |
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The Bixby Library's Summer Soirée Fundraiser
Friday, June 9, 2023
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Mark your calendars and tell your friends! The can't-miss Bixby Library Summer Soirée Fundraiser is being held on Friday, June 9, 2023. More information will be available on our website soon!
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Farewell Bixby! I am sad to announce my departure from the Bixby Library. I will start a new adventure at Middlebury College as a User Experience and Design Librarian in April. My last day at Bixby will be March 23rd.
More than the materials housed inside its hallowed walls, it is hard to sing loud enough how vital and immeasurable a public library is, and I am so proud of all we have done. I have loved my five years here. What better way to be welcomed to Vermont and Addison County than to be immersed in this wonderful community, buying you books, and running so many diverse programs? Thank you for your support, guidance, and encouragement during my time at the Bixby. Truly, as William Gove Bixby provided, this building and its people are a gem to the community.
Even though I will miss you all, I will still be nearby and hope to continue dropping in to catch up. Please keep in touch, and feel free to reach me at my personal email address (laksamee.cave@gmail.com).
Thank you for everything. I wish you all the best!
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March can be cold, snowy, and dreary. Luckily, we have a cozy Children's Room filled with toys, games, comfy seats, and a LEGO table to break up the doldrums. If you missed our Snowshoe Storywalk, our Library of Things has snowshoes available to check out for a week to explore all the trails in the area. Why not bring your library book to read on a break during your snowshoe adventure? The LEGO Contest is over, but our monthly LEGO Club is this Saturday, March 11th, from 10:30 am-12:30 pm and is open to all.
If your child has a favorite stuffed animal whose love has caused an open seam or a loose arm, sign up for a time slot in our first Stuffy Repair Fair on Saturday morning, March 25th. And take your child's newly repaired stuffy for their first ever Stuffy Sleepover at the library on Tuesday, March 28th.
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Stop by with your child to explore the Bixby’s stacks and complete our library scavenger hunt! Find different books and items on our list (such as “a book about a cat”) and choose a small prize from our prize box at the Circulation Desk when you've found them all.
During our next Young Writers Club session on Saturday, April 1, at 10:30 am, we will begin planning our own Literary Magazine! Come help choose a title and cover, then start writing. Email me to learn more.
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A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
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When you are a librarian, everyone inevitably asks you, what are you reading? I confess that while I have a lifelong love of books, it has been quite some time since I have sat down and enjoyed a leisurely read. However, this book drew me out and reminded me why I love getting lost in a story. It’s a feel-good science fiction novel, there are aliens and space travel, but it is also a lovely story about found family and what it means to find community in all different types of people.
Laksamee Cave
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Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
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After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack on her first night on campus.
Legendborn is an award-winning young adult sci-fi/fantasy with secret societies, magic, and action. It is one of those books that will keep you turning pages and staying up far too late to finish. You won't regret it, sleep deprivation notwithstanding.
Mary Neffinger
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Art from Above: Vermont by Caleb Kenna
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Want a new perspective on the Green Mountain state? Check out this new title filled with such artistic, beautiful photos by freelance photographer and certified drone pilot Caleb Kenna of Middlebury.
Martha Sanborn
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Rokeby Virtual Winter Book Discussion
Tuesday, March 14, 6:00 pm
All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles
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Nebizun: Water is Life, Abenaki Teach-in
Abenaki Arts & Education Center is excited to announce an all-day teacher workshop at the Bixby Memorial Free Library. Please pass this opportunity on to those who may be interested.
Abenaki educators will inspire teachers with interactive, media-rich content that links 12,000 years of Abenaki history with 21st-century civic engagement. Participants will pursue a deeper understanding of the region’s diversity through the voices of the American Abenaki people. From Lake Champlain to the Connecticut River Valley, the life-bringing waters of N’Dakinna (Abenaki for “Our Homeland”) were our earliest highways for travel. The water itself is important to the plants, fish, animals, birds, and other wildlife that are necessary to our way of life.
Presenters will illustrate the Abenaki relationship to water, awareness of water as a fundamental element necessary for all life, and concern that pollution of water can change our traditional lifeways and the health of all our relations, human and animal. Participants will investigate resources, interact with Abenaki culture bearers, and be introduced to culturally responsive and sustaining teaching strategies to effectively incorporate diverse narratives into their curriculum.
Space is limited. Register now.
Where: Bixby Memorial Free Library, Vergennes, VT
When: March 25, 10 am to 3 pm
Materials Fee: $35 (includes lunch and materials). Submit your $35 materials fee and indicate it is a payment for the Water is Life: Abenaki Teach-In materials fee.
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Free Tax Preparation Assistance
Free tax preparation assistance is available for eligible low-to-middle-income and senior Vermonters.
The IRS and AARP sponsor free tax assistance for eligible Vermonters. All volunteers receive training from the IRS and the Vermont Department of Taxes. Assistance is available to prepare and file the following:
- Federal Income Tax Return
- Vermont State Income Tax Return
- Homestead Declaration and Property Tax Credit Claim
- Household Income Schedule
- Renter Credit Claim
Learn more at the VT Department of Taxes website here. |
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Library Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday: 10 am-7 pm
Friday-Saturday: 10 am-3 pm
(802) 877-2211
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