The New Salem Public Library occupies the town’s former elementary school, a charming single-story white clapboard building located at the edge of the town common. It serves a population of just under 1,000. Director Diana Smith manages the library with the support of two knowledgeable and enthusiastic assistants, Joy Brenneman and Sue Dunbar. New Salem is an inviting and well-cared-for library. Placement of the various collections is logical, with the popular DVD collection housed on the circulation desk, and new books, bookmobile choices, audio books, music CDs, and the VHS collections adjacent to the front desk. Good separation between collections, a large work table, a reading corner, and lots of windows give the interior a feeling of spaciousness.I made a total of 20 visits from mid-July 2008 to early January 2009, usually for 5-6 hours each time. I weeded adult fiction, adult non-fiction, large print, reference, and the VHS tapes, and handled the disposition of the items weeded from the historical collection by Becky Marconi, Project Coordinator for the THRIVE grant. Marcia Bernard, another Circuit Rider, is weeding the juvenile and young adult collections.
It was readily apparent that many good acquisition choices had been made over the years, but that there was a pervasive mold problem resulting from dampness at the library’s prior location across the street as well as water damage to the current building within the last 2 years. There is now a dehumidifier operating, which should ameliorate the situation.
It was readily apparent that many good acquisition choices had been made over the years, but that there was a pervasive mold problem resulting from dampness at the library’s prior location across the street as well as water damage to the current building within the last 2 years. There is now a dehumidifier operating, which should ameliorate the situation.
Every item in the adult collections I worked on was evaluated for weeding based upon condition and circulation history. Diana reviewed all items I pulled from the shelves to determine what would be discarded or retained. She said that the most difficult decisions for her were discarding donation books that had dedications in them. Diana had extensively weeded the adult fiction collection prior to the move to the current building, so adult non-fiction needed more time and attention. After the records for the weeded items were deleted from C/W MARS, the moldy books were torn apart, the covers going into the trash and the paper inside to recycling. The remainder of the weeded books and all the weeded VHS tapes will be donated to GotBooks. One exception: Becky evaluated the books she weeded from the historical collection that were in good condition, and most of these will be offered for sale to an antique book dealer. There is ample room on the shelves to broaden and deepen the adult collections with new acquisitions.
It was a great pleasure to work on the collection of the New Salem Public Library in the company of its competent and friendly staff.
Celeste Greene
Circuit Rider
