Connecticut's Library Heritage

Welles-Turner Memorial Library, Glastonbury

Glastonbury Library

Glastonbury's public library began with a succession of private subscription libraries throughout the nineteenth century, when people came together to pool their literary resources for the common good. Although none of these associations were sustained, they indeed provided a model for the future. As a result of the interest driving these seminal organizations and the genuine need for a publicly funded free public library, Glastonbury's first town-funded public library was established on October 21, 1895 by the annual town meeting. The new library delivered services from several locations during its first thirty years of development until the spring of 1930, when it was consolidated and moved to the Academy Building on Main Street. At this point, Harriet Burnham recognized how she might help the town fulfill a community need in which she believed deeply. Through her will, planning for a building for the town's struggling public library was enabled. She subsequently bequeathed land and funding for the Welles-Turner Memorial Library through the execution of a new will. Although envisioned in the 1930's, various problems, among them the Second World War, delayed the project's execution until the new library opened in 1952.

The 1952 building, a fine example of Dutch Colonial gambrel style architecture, was constructed with precast reinforced concrete flooring to withstand library construction load requirements, a white painted colonial brick exterior, and a natural slate roof. The building was expanded in 1965 with a 15,300 sq ft contemporary addition emphasizing glass and metal. Although the 1965 addition was constructed as a temporary solution for a rapidly growing program, the task of gaining public support for further expansion proved to be elusive. Two referendum attempts in the 1980's failed to gain citizen support for the project. A successful $5,750,000 million referendum question was finally passed on November 5, 1996. This success can be attributed to strong support groups-the Friends of the Library, the Second Century Fund, and a fabulous PAC-all pushed by a dynamic, new, customer-focused library program that demonstrated and provided a high quality resource worthy of expansion.

Architects Arbonies, King, Vlock were challenged with the tasks of transition, symmetry, and style while maintaining the "feel" of the town and current library architecture. This was achieved by replacing the glass curtain walls of the modern 1965 addition with a brick exterior that melds the new construction with the 1965 addition and the original 1952 structure. The new addition, inspired by the architecture of the original building, has united the three phases of the building and stands as an integrated extension of the 1952 structure.

The architect's space program was driven principally by staff input. It uses a centralized lending concept with program delivery positions deployed in discreet areas providing children's service, reference and informational services, and a new program in customer service. The library program was written by library staff; as was the LAN design, technology topography, media room design and outfitting, custom furniture design, and floor layout modifications. Colors and fabrics were selected with the assistance of a consultant.

All program space was designed to make the most efficient use of existing staff by consolidating lending services from two positions to one, and by other strategies and re-engineering. The basis of this decision was to keep promises made during the referendum, which assured the community that the library would be designed to deliver current standard services without additional staff.

The most remarkable aspect of the project was the ability of staff to maintain full-service during the project with minimal service interruption. This was achieved by a phasing and program reduction shuffle whereby the collection was reduced systematically through a series of logistical phases. The collection's non-salient portions were moved off-site and back while expansion progressed. This was complex and difficult; however, it allowed the library to keep its promise of service delivery while experiencing its historically greatest lending statistics to date.

The newly unified library building provides both an architectural and programmatic jump into the future while maintaining the traditional, classic design of the original building. Services are delivered from three levels. Fiction, new materials, media, and the programming and young adult rooms are all gathered around central lending and customer service desks. The children's room and Story Time Theater are nestled on Level C, in the eastern portion of the building, looking out to the main lending desk and western entrance. Reference and information services are located on level two, which also contains the nonfiction collection, quiet study rooms, periodical rooms, and quiet study areas. The third level is reserved for administration and special collections

Over 230 network locations are provided throughout the library, allowing for great flexibility in the deployment and redeployment of PC's and other devices. The local area network resides on a Novell 4.1-platform utilizing border manager as the Internet firewall; the Internet server resides on an NT server. The Wide Area Network, CONNECT, provides an integrated library transaction and catalog system; transactions are transmitted via Internet to be processed at the central site in Windsor, Connecticut. The program room, named Friends Room, seats 90 people and is outfitted with digital connectivity. A presenter can logon to the Internet and project digital, video and slide and other transmissions onto an electronic screen. The room provides 12 network and telecomm locations, and the podium houses video and audio devices.

The children's story hour room is designed for traditional children's programs along with the infrastructure to provide digital services as required. Its notable feature is an amphitheater style listening area where the audience can sit while the presenter reads or tells a story. It is a relaxed and comfortable room that affords the feeling of learning and fun. Another special feature of the room is a whimsical story time tree that gives the feeling of being a part of a storybook. The space accommodates about thirty children and parents.

The Welles-Turner Memorial Library will be featured in a Libratects seminar on April 13 from 9:30 until Noon Librarians, architects and others involved in the project will be available to discuss the project with interested people. The seminar is free and no registration is required.

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