Rutherford Library librarian Priscilla House (right) points to a page in “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” for Kay Miller and Ken Thompson, both of South Bristol. Residents created their own edible books to enter in the festival, an event House said is held at libraries nationwide in the first week of April. (Elizabeth Walztoni photo)
South Bristol’s Rutherford Library serves a small town, but has begun to offer a mighty array of programming in the last year through the combined efforts of a new board and librarian.
The library hosts monthly art shows and regular special events, offers interlibrary loans, an online catalog, and an online cloud library, and collaborates with the South Bristol School.
Librarian Priscilla House said she and the board are finding a schedule of programming that suits the size of the town and staff resources.
On Saturday, April 1, an Edible Book Festival gave residents the opportunity to create meals representing a favorite book and gathered 27 in attendance. The room displayed an art exhibit and had recently been used for a presentation by author Anne Gass, a talk about moths by Bob Emmons, and meetings of quilting, mahjongg, and political groups.
“South Bristol doesn’t really have any center of activities per se, as a meeting place, so we’re trying to encourage that,” board member Emmons said.
Sometimes, according to House, residents come by the library to see who they’ll run into and go home without checking out a book. She learned at a recent statewide librarian’s meeting that “the library is not a community center, but it is the center of the community.”
House, who came on board in July, still prioritizes the library’s catalog, beginning an interlibrary loan program and providing access to audiobooks and e-books.
“We have a very good-sized library for this size town,” she said.
Other municipalities of similar population in the state sometimes have several shelves in their town office as a library, according to House, while South Bristol enjoys a catalog of over 16,000 items, several rooms of materials, and a community room.
The current library building opened in 1998 on land donated by resident Jane Sewall. Librarian Ellen Shew retired last year after more than 40 years serving the town there.
“It was a very fine library, and Ellen did such a fine job as librarian,” Emmons said. “Local people loved it. They’re also, I think, really enjoying the expanded thing.”
House said she knew the board was interested in expanding programming when they hired her; she has watched other libraries in larger towns and cities across the state for ideas to adapt to South Bristol’s size.
The board’s six energetic members said they come from many backgrounds and skill sets and work well together with House to bring plans to life.
The current volume feels like a good fit, she said, though the group is always open to new ideas, and often coming up with some themselves.
Board members Stephanie Berg and Margy Rochester, who worked with the school to have students visit and get library cards, said they hoped to expand that relationship. Students walk over from school on a path through the woods, and enjoy stuffed animals and computer access alongside the books.
Monthly art shows began with a group show last August and are booked full of monthly solo shows for local artists through the rest of the year.
Joy Vaughan, a board member who coordinates the shows, said it felt natural to her to give back to the town she loves, and that the process has been exciting.
“Who knows what’s out there?” she said.
House said a recent community questionnaire revealed residents were interested in more book groups and public talks, especially on the history of the town. They were also eager for music performances.
Upcoming programs include a workshop by local artist Tenley Seiders and nature walks by a staff member who is a master naturalist, among others still in development.
The library cannot pay speakers or performers, as Rutherford Library operates as a nonprofit in the building owned by the town. On the other hand, free programming is a lower risk.
House said that, although community response has been positive overall, attendance volume isn’t her first concern.
“If six people come, those six people learned something,” she said. “It doesn’t cost us.”
Rutherford Library, at 2000 Route 129, is open noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information call 644-1882 or go to facebook.com/rutherfordlibraryme.
