Connecticut's Library Heritage

Durham Public library

• Library Director: Valerie J. Harrod
• Original Building:1902; Addition 1985; addition 1998
• Architect: Tuthill and Wells, Avon (1998 addition)
• Collection: 42, 000 vols.
• Size: 15,000 sq. ft.

The townsfolk of Durham excel at the New England traditions of volunteerism and commitment to public services. They work hard to maintain the rural character of their town and do not rely solely on businesses for tax revenue. Among communities with comparable populations in its area, Durham ranks lowest in net grand lists. Despite the latter and because of the former, the town has just completed its second addition to the library within twelve years. For a second time, the people of Durham have supported a major expansion of 7600 sq. ft., which has doubled the size of the library and fully utilizes the land available at the site.

The resulting library is a joy for staff to work in and for patrons to use. The architectural features of the original 1902 building have been matched, retaining its warm decor, comfortable ambiance and flowing functionality. A member of LION (Libraries Online) since 1988, the library provides shelf-status access to the state's consortial collections, Internet access, full-text article retrieval, CD-ROM products, dial-in/dial-out and voice/data communications by every seat. The library's three meeting rooms are the choice of town boards and commissions because of the ample parking and extended hours; we are open 58 hours each week. The cost of expansion was covered by a combination of state and federal grants, town funding and local fund raising. But it is the in-kind, often un-recognized, contributions that made this $1 million project possible. These contributions include a three-year, full-time dedicated commitment by the Building Committee chair/clerk of the works; a valuable parcel of land from a loving neighbor; the parking lot surface from a local contractor; hours of toil -- sanding, painting and varnishing, cleaning and moving books -- by sixty-nine volunteers; arduous fund-raising by our Friends group; surveying by one local company and bulldozing by another; landscaping by the local Garden Club -- and much, much more.

Why has the library received such strong support? What motivates our users? In part, it has to do with our history: Durham's first lending library was founded in 1733, just two years after the founding of the Philadelphia Library Company by Benjamin Franklin. And partly it is the spirit of volunteerism fostered by the annual Durham Agricultural Fair, which is visited by nearly 250,000 people on one week-end each year, and which offers residents the opportunity to raise funds for local organizations and charities. Most of all, residents recognize that the library is the heart of the community and can only be as good as they make it.

A bright, welcoming entrance foyer now houses the Friends gift shop and provides access to two large meeting rooms on the lower level. Beyond the shop, a spacious and colorful children's area is fitted with a pre-school corner "snuggery." Audio/visual, reference, and local history collections are accommodated in the 1985 addition. Arrayed around a central circulation desk, they take full advantage of light, space, privacy, security and acoustical control. Completing the addition is a new adult fiction reading room, situated away from the busy desk and with ample, comfortable seating to encourage lingering bibliophiles. The original 1902 building has become a dignified board and meeting room.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow must have had libraries like ours (and yours) in mind when he wrote, "The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, and all the sweet serenity of books."