WTBAnow Blog and Show Notes

   In today's episode, I spoke with Wendy Sharkey, Library Director at the Bennington Free Library in Bennington, VT. Bennington is located in southwestern Vermont. Wendy told me the library has been operating in the same location for 160 years (as of next year)! The library began as a gentleman's reading club. In 1936 a new library building was built right next door, and over time it became too small, so a connector was constructed between the original library and the newer building. The current library operates in both buildings and the connector. For more on the history of the Bennington Free Library see this history page on their website.   Wendy also told me about the library's Memory Book collection geared toward caregivers of people with memory issues. Each kit contains 6 books and is available through interlibrary loan as well. The Bennington Library of Things collection includes snowshoes, a pass to a local ski resort,  a telescope, and more. Every Spring, the library hosts a craft supplies swap which is very popular and they have started a new sewing program called "Sit and Sew".   I had a lot of fun sharing book recommendations with Wendy. I moved her first book to the number one place on my TBR list. It's a YA non-fiction book about the 1921 Tulsa Massacre and its legacy, Blackbirds in the Sky (2022) by Brandy Colbert. Wendy shared that she had not known about this piece of American history and I remarked that I certainly didn't learn about it when I was in school. I'm very grateful that more history books are being published that tell about events and stories that have not been written about in book published by mainstream publishers. 

I can't believe we're at Episode 9 of Where the Books Are Now already! In this episode, I talk with Kate Hunter, Library Director at the Orwell Free Library in Orwell, VT. The Orwell Free Library is housed in a house! It looks like a lovely historic home on the outside and on the inside it is the public library and Historical Society.  This library, like many public libraries in Vermont, has a great history story. The library is located right in the center of town on the village green and bonus, the school is right across the street, making it so easy for kids to come to the library after school.The staff have started a coffee hour on Fridays at 9:00 am and Kate says that it's very well attended by people in the community. We also talked about other programs and services (like Teen pizza on Thursdays) and the summer reading program. Kate likes partnering with other organizations to bring new programs and events to the community. Orwell also has a Library of Things collection which includes tables and chairs, an egg incubator, a bubble makers, a large speaker, and more!

On Episode 8 I talk with Maya Newroot, the Library Director at the Rochester Public Library in Rochester, Vermont. Most librarians in small libraries where several hats and Maya is both the Children's Librarian and the Library Director. She shared the special history of the Rochester Public Library and the building. The Rochester Public Library building was built in 1849 by the Universalist Church Society to be a church and still has beautiful stained glass windows. As Maya talked, I imagined myself reading a book on the second floor, sitting on one of their comfy couches, with light from a stained glass window streaming in beside me.

In Episode 7 of the WTBAnow podcast, I visit with Kyrra Howard, Library Director at the Pettee Memorial Library in Wilmington, VT.  Kyrra talks about the long history of the library and Mr Lyman Pettee who funded the construction of the first library building in Wilmington in 1906 in memory of his parents Dr Anson and Lucy Pettee.

     In episode 6 of Where the Books Are Now, I chat with Susan O'Connell, Library Director at the Craftsbury Public Library in Craftsbury, VT.  The library sits in a perfect location in town, just off the town common and close to the Craftsbury Academy. We chat about the history of the library, including a great story about the $50 that was set aside to build the first public library in Craftsbury.

In episode 5 of Where the Books Are Now, I talk with Catherine Hays, Library Director at the Bixby Memorial Free Library in Vergennes, Vermont.  Bixby is a library, a community center, and a museum that serves not just Vergennes, VT but the surrounding communities of Ferrisburgh, Waltham, Panton, and Addison.

Air date: April 22, 2024 - In this episode I chat with Elizabeth Frederick, Library Director at the Mary L Blood Library in West Windsor, Vermont. The Mary L Blood Library is one of three small libraries built by Benjamin Franklin Blood around the turn of the 20th century. (The others are the Windsor Public Library in Windsor, Vermont and the Weathersfield Proctor Library in Ascutney, VT). This library was built in 1900 and was affectionately referred to as "The Little Library." Liz told me that the library still has some books from the original library collection and they were organized in a very interesting way.

In Episode 3  I chat with Jennie Rozycki , Library Director at the John G. McCullough Library in North Bennington, VT. Jennie shares the long history of libraries in North Bennington, starting with the "Ladies Lending Library." We chat about the new tool lending library where you can get snowshoes for the winter and fishing poles for the warmer months. Jennie shares more library offerings that the "Tardis-like" library provides including access to over 4,000 digital magazines for library members. 

In Episode 2, I talk with my hometown librarians at the Rockingham Free Public Library located in the town in the village of Bellows Falls, in the town of Rockingham, Vermont:  Ian Graham, Library Director, Sam Howard, Youth Services Librarian, and Pamela Johnson Spurlock, Reference and Historical Collections Librarian.

It’s LAUNCH DAY!  I’m so excited to start sharing the fabulous world of Vermont’s public libraries with you. In Episode one, I chat with Bree Drapa, Library Director at the Westford Public Library in Westford, VT. Bree talked about the  history of the library, all the interesting things you can check out that aren’t books - like card tables and chairs! Biblio+ the new streaming service for movies and tv, and many other services the library offers.