ennington Free Library

Volume 26, No. 1 A Quarterly Newsletter April 2021

Page 2: Yearbook Digitization Project, In Memoriam Page 3: National Volunteer Week Page 4: Third Thursday Readers, Takeout Thanks Buy Locally! Page 5: Take-Make-Share Activity Bags Page 6: Sustaining Through Covid-19 Page 7: Take-And-Make Bags for All Ages! Page 8: Toddlers and Twos Early Learning Fun Bags

The Library is Here For You!

In this edition we acknowledge, with regret, the one-year anniversary of our closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For the first time in over a century when the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918 forced the closure of schools, churches and other public institutions, our library observed a government - ordered quarantine in order to avoid becoming a

vector for spreading the virus. Though closed to the public, the library was not “shut down.”

A fundamental tenet of our library is that we embrace change in recognition of our community’s ever - evolving needs. Staff quickly formulated plans which allowed the library to continue to offer critical library services despite the unusual circumstances. Circulation of all materials in our collection, including snowshoes!, has

continued as have reference services and interlibrary loans. Virtual story hours and programs such as Museum ABC’s and our virtual book group will continue until such time as we are able to welcome

patrons to the library proper once again. Though not able to peruse the collections in person, our online catalog allows browsing as well as the ability to place items on hold in anticipation of picking

them up via Library Takeout.

As our state government relaxes quarantine rules and the number of new cases in our area stabilizes, we hope to open our doors to the public once again. We miss our friends! Until then count on

us to offer a full complement of library services to help you weather this most difficult of times.

Stay safe everyone! Lynne Fonteneau McCann

Be a part of the Library’s

“Go-Green Campaign” Receive your newsletter via email in color!

Sign up at admin@bfli.org. If you change your email address - please let us know

Bennington Free Library Page 2

Yearbook Digitization Project at the Library

Bennington High School/MAUHS yearbooks from 1950 to 2019 (total 68 yearbooks in the VT History Room collection) are being scanned for FREE by the OCI

Yearbook Project (Oklahoma Correctional Industries). Scans will be .pdf files and will be returned to the library in the near future where they may be accessed via the library's website.

(See this Vermont Historical Society website page for an example.)

After creating an inventory of the collection our Reference Librarian Karson mailed the yearbooks to OCI. Digitization is expected to take 4-6 weeks at which time the

Yearbooks and their corresponding digital files will be returned.

Prior to accepting the free offer, several Vermont libraries and the Vermont Historical Society were consulted to confirm the care our materials would receive and to assess

the quality of OCI’s work.

Our goal is to digitize the remaining yearbooks in our collection as funding permits. This includes Bennington High School yearbooks (pre 1950), a number of North Bennington High

School yearbooks (1939 - 1951 + 1955) as well as Bennington Catholic High School yearbooks (1959 - 1967).

Finally, we would like to fill in the gaps of this important local resource. If you own or know

of someone who owns yearbooks from area high schools and would be willing to donate them to the library, please let us know.

In Memoriam

We note with sorrow, the loss of the following supporters and friends of the Library:

Rachella Bolton James R. Collins Alice Norris Dinizo

Bonita Dundas Marge Galvin Patrick Moore William Mustain

George Sohn Sally Sugerman Matthew Tartaglia

Bennington Free Library Page 3 NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK APRIL 4 – 10, 2021

Thank you for all you do!

The Bennington Free Library is fortunate to have many wonderful volunteers. 2020 was an exceptional year and circumstance meant we were unable to join with volunteers to offer library services to our

community. Here, in recognition of their good offices, we thank volunteers who have volunteered their time and talent over the past few years. Thank you!

Cathy Alberti, RSVP Nicole Bayetis Lucy Baldwin Anna Becker Patricia Becker Michael Belville Bennington Garden Club Ray Bolton Rochella Bolton James Boutin Laura Boutin Sherry Brochu Cat Bryars* Laya Buchanan Robert Bullington Terri Bullington Christine Bushee John Butler Kate Canning Stephen Carknard & MAUHS Golf Team Bella Casalinova Jessica Casalinova Molly Cohen Jeanne Connor* Charles Copp Courtney Cowan Valeria Crossley Edna Curran Jeanne Davis Dottie DePollo Thomas DePollo April Erwinski Nique Fiegel Conner Felt Lisa Flynn Ann Fort Michelle Freeman Jerry Fressola Auberta Galusha Marjorie Galvin Anita Gauthier Jon Goodrich*

Misti Granger Wade Greene Diana Griffiths Madeliene Gutbier Joe Hall Joyce Hall Mary Hall Katrina Hastings Ellen Havlak Rick Havlak Melissa Hepler Ann Herrick Susan Hoffmann-Ogier Brennan Holland Diane Howard Marie Howe Anna Humphrey Fran Hunt Teresa Ingalls Kathy Kaiser Laura Kaiser Sharon Kaiser Bruce Kennedy Madeline Kennedy Jennifer Kern Jan Ketterer CeCe King Charlotte Knighton David Knighton Tricia Kowalchyk* Doug Krause Cindy Krautheim Ann Kremers Kelley Legacy* Rhonda Levin Nathalie Libby Fred Loy* Maureen Loy Andrea Malinowski Lisa Mandela Sara Lea Mandela Barbara Marino Andrew Marsden

Jasmine Marrero-Pratt Jackie Marro* Dale Maturski Michael McKenna Vince McLean John McShane Norma McShane Richard McSherry Melissa Mears Dare Meunier Amy Jo Montgomery Jane Moriarity Catherine Morrissey Christine Morrissey Jason Morrissey Melissa Morrison Michael Munson* Viola Myers David Newell* Don Nolan Emily Ostler Meg Outwater Zapree Pelzer Noah Pembroke Ethan Perry Beverly Petrelis Krystianna Pietrzak Lisa Pietrzak Jane Pinnsonneault Rita Pinnsonneault Chris Poggi John Poggi Gayle Potter Ethel Pratt Jane Radocchia Michael Rancourt Betsy Ratelle Al Ray Ginny Ray David Rayus & 204 Depot Street Paul Roy

Adam Restino Gabrielle Reutter Jason Reutter Miriam Reutter Nathan Reutter Phoebe Reutter Theresa Rudolph Nicholas Salem Ryan Sawyer Sherry Schwarz Helen Sharkey Phoebe Sheres Josie Shepard Constance Smith Ida Snow Nancy Steffen Sharon Stepp Stefan Strohmaier, Dept. Of Corrections Jack Sweeney Denise Taff Robert Taff Beth Tegart Robert Tegart Kathy Thompson John Toscano Barth Vander Els* Betty Vander Els P.J. Venti* Jean Wassick Carolyn Webb Bruce Wheat Selah Wiegers Michelle Wiegers* Kate Whitehall Rose Wolfe William Wolfe Richard Wright Suzi Youatt Pat Zemianeck Coleen Zimpfer

Bennington Free Library Page 4 .

Third Thursday Readers Update

Third Thursday Readers is a book club for adults 60+ years young sponsored by Green Mountain RSVP and the Bennington Free Library.

The club began with a get to know you meeting in October and has met virtually at 10 a.m. on the Third Thursday of each month since. Members have discussed The Book Woman of Troublesome

Creek, The Deal of a Lifetime, and Where the Crawdads Sing. The next titles the group will discuss include When All Is Said and A Promised Land.

Meetings are held using Zoom. You can join using your tablet, computer or phone, including dialing in on your phone. If you are not sure how to join, just

ask! For more information, contact Lenora Volkmer, GMRSVP Volunteer Coordinator by

email: lvolkmer@svcoa.net or Karson Kiesinger, Reference and Adult Services Librarian by email: reference@bfli.org or by calling 802-442-9051.

For the latest information about the Third Thursday Readers visit the library’s homepage benningtonfreelibrary.org and click on the Third Thursday Readers logo (pictured here).

Takeout Thanks

We recently received this thank you for our Library Takeout service, which we began offering soon

after we closed to the public last spring.

Thank You For Helping Our Library Buy More Locally!

This year we substituted our usual Christmas Wish List with a request to support our local bookshop. Thank you to the following individuals for supporting both the library and local entrepreneurs!

Cathy and Stanley Chichanowski Michael and Terese Comar

Joyce Goeke Jackie Marro Barbara Raskin and Robin Tarnas

In addition, the Bennington Bookshop donated a gift certificate for the purchase

of books for our collection. Thank you!

Thank you. Please include a big thank you to all the library staff for all

the attention to detail this mode of operation takes.

I am extremely grateful to be able to borrow books!

Bennington Free Library Page 5

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Bennington Free Library Page 6 Sustaining Through COVID-19

It’s been a year since the first closure of the library building due to COVID-19. Although the building was open

with reduced hours from the end of July through end of November, it’s been closed since Thanksgiving. Like all of you we have felt disoriented, discouraged and distressed at times throughout the year. As we adjust, we also feel

purposeful, inspired, and grateful, especially when we hear from you!

Here are a few examples of research queries Reference Desk staff completed this year. Special thanks to the researchers who gave permission to share these details.

John from Dexter, MI emailed looking for biographical material for an article about children’s author Robert Newton Peck. Specifically, John hoped to confirm if Peck was a high school student in Bennington and graduated in 1945. We checked our collection of high school yearbooks in the Vermont History Room, found Robert Peck in Bennington High

School’s 1945 Catamount yearbook, and emailed John Robert Peck’s senior photo and entry, the senior class photo, the 1945 class will and class horoscopes, and pictures of Peck in two clubs. John replied, “Thanks so much for the effort

you put into this for me! I am most appreciative.”

Our Reference Department received an email from Elexia, a high school student in Arkansas researching the Bennington Triangle “for a school project.... I was wondering if you could help me find any information regarding

the disappearances in the Bennington Triangle during 1945 to 1950?” Since Elexia was asking for an overview, we sent her The Bennington Triangle chapter in Joseph A. Citro’s book Passing Strange: True Tales of New

England Hauntings and Horrors.

A Bennington community member called The Bennington Banner hoping to get a copy of her brother’s obituary and she was referred to our library. When she received our email with her brother’s obituary, she replied, “Thank you so

very much for providing me his obituary. You made my heart happy even though I felt sadness. When my brother passed, I was undergoing treatment for a second bout of cancer. It was truly a difficult time in my life.

My gift to my surviving two sisters and brother for Christmas is a family photo album with pictures and newspaper articles dating back to 1935. My baby brother’s obituary was the last item I needed to complete my project.

You have no idea of how grateful I am for your help. Thank you again for your help and kindness.”

To borrow her phrase: you make our hearts happy when you continue to use our services and resources. Thank you for helping sustain us… your local library!

Karson Kiesinger

We also sent her three recent (2006-2011) Bennington Banner articles from our NewsBank digital text archive; these articles provide a local overview and capture the continuing interest in the disappearances. To give Elexia context, we also emailed her two Bennington Banner articles saved from our library’s

copy of The Bennington Banner microfilm, published in 1945 and 1961.

Although the Bennington Triangle is a familiar query, part

of the fun is selecting items that best answer each researcher’s request. We are also buoyed by enthusiasm

for research! Elexia replied, "I really wanted to thank you for putting so much time and dedication into this and taking the time out of your day to putting it together for me, I really

appreciate the help. "

"I found the newsletters and the chapter on the Bennington Triangle really helpful because I've been doing some online searching and not much has come up on those things that were in those attachments. You have no idea how much

you helped me. Thank you."

Bennington Free Library Page 7

Take-and-Make Bags for All Ages!

The library continued to offer take-and-make activity bags and expanded its offerings

to more community members in the new year!

For Adults:

January is Hot Tea Month!

March: Here Comes the Sun!

For Children and Families:

Toddlers & Twos Early Learning Fun! Generously funded by a grant

from Stewart’s Shops.

Valentine Activity Boxes

Snowflake Fun!

Ellen (above) and Rick Havlak (right) prepare Take and Make Bags for

library Patrons.

Bennington Free Library Page 8 Bennington Free Library 101 Silver Street Bennington, VT 05201 1-802-442-9051 http://benningtonfreelibrary.org

Non-Profit Postage Paid Permit # 10

Bennington VT

More Fun From Our

Library Shelves To Yours!

The Children's Room launched our newest initiative this spring...Toddlers & Twos

Early Learning Fun Bags!

Families with children 12-36 months can take home a different themed bag each month filled with a brand new book,

learning materials & activities.

Bennington Free Library has a long history of actively serving toddlers and

twos and their parents & caregivers.

The “Toddlers & Twos Early Learning Fun Bags” will allow us to continue this special

connection and allow families to enlarge their own library! Funded by a Sunrise Direct Services Community Grant &

Stewart's Shops.