I love reading so it’s only natural that I love our library. But books are not the only reason I value the Dormann Library. They are just the first reason.
Kids, kids, kids. They are another reason I believe the library is so vital to our community. The children in my family are all nuts about the library – for the books and the toys and the crafts. They are super proud of their library cards and take great care of them! I also love the sight and sound of children I don’t know having fun in the library. We all know they are our future and deserve the best. But also: they remind me of the joy I felt as a kid visiting the Davenport Library more than half a century ago. I was the beneficiary of the wisdom and generosity and civic stewardship of the adults in Bath way back then. And now it’s up to me, to us. It’s our turn to make sure the current generation of children and future generations get to visit a great library. I see it as a duty, certainly. But it’s also … an honor … to be a part of history, of our common history. To be a giver as well as a recipient.
Of course, I’m still benefitting from the programs offered by the Dormann Library nowadays! Books, books, books, absolutely. But my life has also been enriched by things I’ve learned from people at the library: crocheting and gardening and how to avoid becoming a victim of scam artists. (That presentation was one of the very best I have ever attended anywhere.)
Finally, I’m so deeply grateful for the people who make the library work for everyone in our community. They are warm, kind and always helpful. Please join me as I come out and vote on June 2nd.
– Jackie Hallifax