On Tuesday, November 12, the Moretown Memorial Library opened at its new location in the Town Hall across from the Moretown General Store. It took a crew of 30 people to move the books, clean up the new space and prepare it for the public eye. But did all that work pay off?
According to Cory Stephenson, Moretown librarian, the relocation was a success. Additionally, there was a large turnout at the library’s open house on November 16. “This past Saturday, the library hosted an open house with over 40 people visiting the new winter space at the Town Hall. In the Read and Play area children built towers, cooked meals, created art and read books with their caregivers. Grown-ups browsed and checked out books, worked on a group puzzle and had the chance to catch up with neighbors and friends. Many commented on the light and comfortable atmosphere and that they were looking forward to spending more time at the library this winter.”
However, the new location may be a hindrance to those who want to rent the Town Hall for private events. At a Moretown Select Board meeting on Monday, November 8, select board members discussed this potential problem, working with librarians to design policies around creating a smooth rental process for the Town Hall. During the meeting, two policies were approved: the first involves closing the library when the Town Hall is booked. The second involves notification of such a closure at least two days in advance via social media and the library website. A future draft policy with different levels of breakdown of the space was also presented for the select board's consideration.
Librarians and board members worked quickly to create pro-community policies on sharing the space. Additionally, the public seemed to vote in favor of the new location via their attendance at the open house. Reflecting on the open house during Moretown’s Monday night select board meeting, Stephenson left the board with an encouraging remark: “Everyone who came through the door was excited to be there. It was a really exciting show of community.”
