TURNER – The Turner Public Library is in its eighth home since its founding in October 1939: the third floor of the recently renovated Leavitt Institute Building.
Now that the library has what is hoped will be a home for many years to come, trustees and staff are attempting to put together programs that will attract people of all ages and interests.
Board of Trustees President John Zocchi and Vice President Jennifer Talbot said that a committee of trustees and interested citizens has been visiting libraries in communities of similar size throughout Maine to find out which programs work at those sites, and to determine whether they can be adapted to Turner.
They also hope for input from the community. Programs that are suggested and initiated by residents will have the broadest appeal, they said.
The trustees said that programs will be offered in much the same way special collections will be amassed – through expressions of citizen interest. They pointed to a collection of nearly 300 horticultural volumes that have been compiled almost entirely through resident interest and donations.
Other areas that are gaining interest, the trustees hear, are genealogy and Maine history. They said they are looking for ideas from residents and will be more than happy to compile volumes on those and other topics of interest.
If sufficient interest is voiced from the community, Zocchi and Talbot said a genealogy expert could be brought to the library to discuss books written on the subject and to assist people in researching their ancestral history.
Zocchi said the trustees will make every effort to reach out to townspeople to learn what the library should do to better serve the community.
He and Librarian Vicky Varney are ready to hear from all who have suggestions or ideas, as well as from those who would like to volunteer to serve on library committees or help out in the library.
Library hours are Tuesday and Thursday, from noon to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 9:30 a.m to noon. The telephone number is 225-2030.
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New features
Features of the new Turner Public Library site:
• A neatly appointed greeting area featuring by a painting of James Madison Leavitt, for whom the building is named.
• Bookshelves marked to make it easy for people to look for what they want, with a historic touch: The building was once a school, and the big room was once a classroom, and it will include an original blackboard on one wall.
• A light and brightly colored children’s room with a big rug.
• A reading room, which can also be a small meeting or book discussion room, with huge windows overlooking the Village Green.
• A utilitarian reference section with a desk for study.
• Computers just outside the circulation area.
Donations
Those wishing to give to the library may purchase a plaque that will be attached to a Bradco chair for a donation of $250. The plaques may honor a family member, loved one or anyone else.
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