Almost done being a Trustee

When my friend Sharon forwarded this email I nearly cried- mixed tears of grief and pride. I tried so hard to get Shutesbury to build a new library. I believe libraries are a good investment.

Excerpt of email from Sharon to Polly :

“This morning Williston had an all school assembly with William Kamkwamba, who wrote The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope, who is currently a Senior at Dartmouth.  I wondered if Will might know him?  He has such an interesting and inspiring story.  It made me think about several things including determination despite many odds, but it also made me think about the value of libraries and reading, and all of the hard work that Karen Traub and others in Shutesbury have been doing to preserve and grow the local library.  After being not allowed to attend school in 9th grade because his parents could not afford the $80 a year tuition, he started going to the local library in Malawi to try and keep up with the readings his friends were doing in school.  It was there he discovered a book on Windmills, but you will have to read more if you are not familiar with his story which is linked here  http://willistonblogs.com/blog/william-kamkwamba-to-speak-at-fourth-annual-wattles-perry-77-lecture/”  

I won’t be running again for Library Trustee when my term is up in ’14. I love the library and have served energetically since ‘02 in Shutesbury and in Wendell from ‘97-’00- just as they began envisioning a new library.  Rosie (Wendell’s Librarian) recruited me saying meetings were very social and that most important qualification for a library trustee consists of an “appreciation of the library and a desire to provide the best possible library service for the community”.  I passionately believe Shutesbury needs a new library and that it is our job as a town to make it happen. Library advocate John Ramsay once told me “Libraries cannot speak for themselves, they need us to speak on their behalf.”

Reading about the ALA citation for Trustee of the year caused me to reflect on my experience and the library’s accomplishments.  I have served as chair, as secretary, friends liaison, chair of Library Facility Needs Assessment Committee, and member of new library fundraising committee.  When I joined the board, the proposal for a new library had just been withdrawn at town meeting in ’01 due to the committee’s desire to win the support of a small but vocal group opposed to the plan. Morale was low when I joined the board, but there was new hope for a better plan when lot 032 was purchased by the town for future municipal use.

I am proud we held a “revive your Friends “ roundtable discussion in ’04 and a chocolate fountain party to invite participation. I am thrilled at the current strength of the Friends group and that thanks in large part to the friends, we have raised nearly $100,000 for a new library.  Some of my favorite friends activities include bringing the Red Sox trophy and a live wolf to Shutesbury. I am also proud that we have our own Shutesbury library blends-(Roadtown Roast and S-Curve Special) of local, organic, fair trade Dean’s Beans coffee to raise funds for the library.

I was on hiring committees for 2 first class library directors Jane Buchanan and Mary Anne Antonellis. We reorganized the library, made the building accessible and added a composting toilet, joined CWMARS, got a dropbox (now safe to leave dvds), increased hours, staff and budget of library, held community events such as forums and visioning sessions, created a mission statement and wrote bylaws,  created a perpetual calendar for Trustees, improved communication in town by networking throughout the community, created a library website and sandwich board sign, wrote and were awarded planning and design and construction grants for a new library and instituted yearly request at town meeting for capital planning money to be set aside for future library (as Wendell did). I have actively represented the library at conferences and workshops across the state, town meeting and Mass Board of Library Commissioners.

 I feel discouraged that years of  planning and hard work by volunteers were defeated in an unlikely tie vote of 522 to 522 but I did not lose hope and led the board to create a trustee publication and initiated mediation with library opponents.  I feel sad that a library would be the focal point for political tension and longstanding resentments. It is easy to mobilize the uninvolved to come out and vote no to a large capital project. Proclaiming “Higher taxes” gets results like yelling “fire” in a crowded building.  

I feel happy that our library has strong support in town and around the world and am moved by how many people have said to me “the library saved my life”.  I am cheered watching the library video that went viral http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUQ1vdJQWn0 

and listening to Jim Armenti’s anthem “You Just Can’t Kill a Good Idea”, written after Westhampton's new library was temporarily delayed.

I am weary of arguing with opposition and looking forward to a break from meetings, town politics and the responsibilities and constraints of being a town official. For the moment I take to heart the words of Mark Sullivan whose great-grandfather built the Spear “Keep your chin up Karen.  Take a break but don't give up…”

I believe the community can heal and come together. I believe if we pool our talents in a shared vision we can build a library that will serve us now and into the future.