Annual Report

Town Meeting Report (May 2011)

The Pelham Library continues to provide excellent service to the Pelham community using only 1% of the total town budget:

• The Pelham Library consistently ranks in the top 10% as measured by the Mass. Board of Library Commissioners in number of books circulated per town resident, per hour of staff time and per open hour, compared to other town libraries with populations less than 2000.
• Almost 1000 library cards have been issued to town patrons.
• There are over 40 town residents volunteering their time at the library. The library runs with around 1 hour of volunteer time to every hour of paid staff time.
• We’ve moved to a statewide online circulation system that makes it easier for us to get hundreds of high-demand books, DVDs and audios for Pelham patrons via interlibrary loan.  Now patrons can request items and renew their loans from their home computer.
• The Community and History Rooms are used for over 200 meetings a year, ranging from writing groups and the Historical Society to the School Committee and Planning Board.
• The library continues to host the After-School program, concerts, the Summer Reading Program, a Book Group and a weekly childrens’ Music Hour. We are a successful community center.

In September, the library joined a new library consortium, KOHA, that allows us to share materials with other libraries more easily. Now, Pelham residents can borrow books from any library in the system, making high-demand books and DVDs more accessible. Patrons can also manage their accounts from home, renewing, reserving or checking status right from their home computers.

In October, the Pelham Library celebrated the10th anniversary of the move to the Community Center building. The Friends of the Library hosted a gathering of present and former library patrons and volunteers with food and wine, and a good time was had by all.

We’ve continued our popular Saturday tea series, featuring monthly concerts from area luminaries such as Dick Moulding. the jazz pianist; Barbara Russell and friends on Celtic Harp; sword dancing from Long Tall Sword and Pat McPherson from the English Country Dance and Song Society. The teas are well-attended and are a cornerstone event for the library. Lots of old friends check up on each other and many new friends meet here over the course of the year. If you haven’t joined us yet, come and check us out!

Our library was graced by illuminating talks on archeology with Elizabeth Chilton on “New Excavations in Deerfield”, Charles Mann on “1492, How the New World changed the Old World”, and Pelham’s own Howard Leavitt on “Native Americans’ First Contact”.
Former Pelham resident Marnie Sandweiss, the author of the noted new book, Passing Strange, gave us the background on her writing. We also put on well-attended workshops on topics as diverse as Growing Shiitake mushrooms on logs, Estate Planning and a series on Yoga.
In January, we enjoyed catching up with the previous Library Director, Rebecca Frank, at a gathering hosted by the Friends of the Library, when she visited us from her new location in Washington State.

The occasional classical music concerts, ably directed by Gail and Paul Berube and supported by the Friends of the Library, have given the many people who attend much joy. We particularly remember the moving concert that Estella Olevsky and friends gave in our intimate and beautiful library space.

Library staffers Ashley Rodkey and Jodi Levine continue to do a great job with children's programs; Ashley doing a series of creative art workshops, and Jodi organizing a well-attended children’s music hour on Friday mornings.

As our Community building ages, inevitable maintenance and renewal issues arise. The winter would not be complete without our annual roof leaks, and the help of Rick Adamcek and the Buildings and Grounds department in recovering from these has been much appreciated. We are also looking forward to the installation of new doors which should end the struggle patrons have had to make to enter and leave the library.

The Trustees will do all they can to ensure that the continuing economic troubles do not force cuts in library services. Tight budgets will mean that we have to search for more ways to save money. We invite people in town to volunteer their time or donate money to help us keep Pelham’s library running.

Respectfully submitted,
Jonathan Woodbridge, Trustee Chair

Town Meeting Report (May 2008)

Town Meeting Report (May 2009)

Towm Meeting Report (May 2010)