The PCB abatement grit-blasting work at the library was concluded near the end of November. Ceilings and floors have been cleared of the coatings and adhesives that were the suspected sources of airborne PCB contamination discovered in tests at the end of 2015. The consequent PCB mitigation delay in reopening the renovated and newly accessible building has been vexing to many. But in mid-January, members of the Kent Memorial Library Board began planning a grand reopening — with the date still uncertain. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
The Kent Memorial Library received a grant from the American Library Association in partnership with Citizen Film and the National Writing Project to host a series of programs which will be community conversations centered around American Creed, a PBS documentary that invites audiences to consider what America’s ideals and identity ought to be.
Additional funding for the programs is provided by The Friends of the Kent Memorial Library. In the documentary, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy, civic entrepreneur Eric Liu, moveon.org founder Joan Blades, Tea Party Patriots founder Mark Meckler, Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon and other citizen-activists come together from remarkably different perspectives to explore the idea of a unifying American creed. The library’s series of programs will start with the showing of the documentary, American Creed, on Saturday, February 16, at 2 p.m. at the Suffield Senior Center. After the showing, Lucy Nalpathanchil will facilitate a conversation centered on the film. Ms. Nalpathanchil is a public radio journalist at WNPR, Connecticut’s public radio station.
Fall flew by but we are ready for winter! Sign up for these FREE Teen Programs online at suffield-library.org. Thanks to the Friends of Kent Memorial Library for their support! Make Your Own
Bath Fizzies
December 5
from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
at 61 Flyler Place
Let’s get some science going and learn to make homemade bath bombs. You’ll go home with gifts for the holidays, or a treat for yourself.
ByLauren Life, Vice-President Suffield Public Library Foundation |
The Suffield Public Library Foundation is a vibrant organization, and we too have anxiously awaited news on the progress of the Kent Memorial Library (KML). We have not let the frustrating PCB predicament deter our mission to support our town library. The foundation formed in 2009 because many in town believed it was a necessary and fiscally responsible decision to set up an organization that allowed citizens to support KML through charitable gifting. Under the town leadership of First Selectman Scott Lingenfelter, our organization was formed. Our 501(c)(3) foundation serves as a conduit so that generous people can be sure their donations are meeting all eligible requirements of charitable contributions, and the funds are used exclusively for the benefit of the KML.
By mid-November, the grit blasting to remove ceiling paint judged to be the primary cause of the airborne PCB in Kent Memorial Library had been completed, and attention was directed to the floor, from which all the carpet squares and faux wood flooring had been removed, leaving adhesive residue. With all the windows blanked out by plastic to protect the glass, library aficionados couldn’t watch the work, but it’s certainly been gratifying to hear reports on the progress. Following the blasting and application of the epoxy encapsulant (the chemical folks don’t like calling it “paint”) and the successful completion of air quality tests, the rest of the work of putting the library back together can begin, including pipes and conduits on the ceiling, the rearranged book shelves, and the bathrooms.
For the historical room, Facilities Director Julie Oakes reports that a small change in the location of a fire sprinkler head will provide the necessary clearance, so work on putting the room back in use should be able to proceed. The new compact shelving for that room was delivered many months ago and must be installed. New seating for the auditorium (with reduced capacity to allow for up-to-date standards of accessibility) is expected in January for immediate installation then.
Vern Taylor laughs at First Selectman Melissa Mack’s tales on the special day held for him at the temporary Kent Memorial Library. Before his stroke, he had been a loyal and very helpful library volunteer for several decades. His wife, Dorian Taylor, left rear, laughs along with him. (She retired from the library recently; his daughter, Wendy, is children’s librarian.) As many as 50 friends at a time crowded the limited space to honor Vern. Many wore funny T-shirts in his honor; his read, “Follow in my footsteps and you’ll eventually reach the library.”
This bear is Paddington, whose story started on Christmas Eve in 1956, at Selfridges in London. Michael Bond, searching for a present, pitied a forlorn toy bear sitting alone on a shelf and took it home. He wrote more than 70 stories about his much-loved bear. Today, over 30 million Paddington books have sold worldwide. The bear is so famous that when the Chunnel opened, a Paddington bear was the first item to enter France.
Friends of Kent Memorail Libary book collection will resume on Saturday, December 1 from 10 a.m. to noon at the temporary location at Fflyer Place. The collection in January will be Saturday, January 5 from 10 a.m. to noon.
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