Report of the Library Trustees
2005
To the Citizens of Bridgewater:
2005 was a challenging year at the Library.
Once again, we received a waiver from the Massachusetts Board of Library
Commissioners. This was the third
year in a row that we needed to apply for a waiver because the Town was unable
to fund the Library to meet mandated state standards.
In spite of serious budget restrictions, our staff has managed to
successfully serve the public and provide the information and materials that our
patrons have come to expect.
The Trustees owe a debt of gratitude to our hardworking staff, and to the
Friends of the Library, whose hard work, gifts of time, and a gift of a new
Ricoh duplicating machine, have made this year a bit easier for the staff and
our patrons.
On a personal note, I wish to thank my fellow Trustees for their
dedication and thoughtful deliberations; also the Library Director Betty Gregg
and Marie Plouffe for all they do for the Town and the Trustees.
Respectfully submitted,
Judith W. Gabriel, Chairman
Report of the Public Library Director
2004
The highlight of 2005 was our very successful summer
reading program “Going Places @ Your Library” for children who were
pre-readers through grade 6. There
were 890 participants who read a total of 12,142 books.
A teen reading program was held in conjunction with this event.
There were 157 youngsters in grades 5-9 who read 314 books.
Participants this year numbered 198 more than in 2004, and they read
1,838 more books.
Again this year, Estabrook and Chamberlain donated 10 bicycles to be used
as prizes. Because this year marked
the fifth anniversary of their generous gifts, one family was chosen to receive
a free vacation at Storyland, a family resort in New Hampshire.
A Massachusetts Cultural Council grant “Destination: Discovery!” was awarded to the library. Funds were used for a series of programs to complement the
summer reading program. The Friends
of the Library jointly funded this project.
A total of 501 people attended the five programs that were offered.
We were most appreciative to the fine performers who reduced their fees
so that they could participate in the series.
Other donors to this summertime event were the Friends of the Bridgewater
Public Library, Annie’s Book Stop, Peaceful Meadows, Scholars’, Off Shoots,
Jungle Gym, the George Mitchell Elementary School Parents Association and Wicked
Stitches.
During the year, the library staff served 123,562 persons on a walk in
basis. This number of people would
fill Fenway Park over three times. We
circulated 204,810 items to our patrons and to other libraries.
We signed up 988 persons for library cards in 2005, bringing our
total number of borrowers to 26,002.
Despite a shortage of funding and staff, we were able to provide a new,
innovative service to our public through the SAILS Library Network.
SAILS teamed up with Overdrive, Inc., a Cleveland based provider of
digital media, to provide patrons with around-the-clock electronic access to
audio books and e-books. With a
valid library card, patrons can download these books to their home computers or
MP3 players. Interest in this
service has been growing steadily across the state.
We are most grateful to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
for granting us a waiver of the minimum standards, mandated by law, for the
third year in a row. Lack of
adequate funding from the Town put the Library on the brink of being decertified
and losing its annual state aid award.
The supportive Friends of the Library group, along with the Garden Club
and Ousamequin Club, have continually shown their commitment to the library.
We thank them, and the many other individuals and groups, who have come
forward to volunteer their time or to offer funds for our projects.
We also appreciate the support and assistance received from other town
departments.
The Library would be nothing without the elected members of the Board of
Library Trustees who generously volunteer their time to ensure quality services
to our patrons, and the dedicated library staff that provide those services.
A heartfelt thanks to them all.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth
L. Gregg, Director
Last modified 03/29/2006 | 
