Volume 21, Number 1, Spring 2014



                                       Books&People



            IN THIS ISSUE              A Letter

                                       from the Board Chair

      260 Years of the Library

                                       Dear fellow Library members,

                               PAGE 2

                                       2013 was a good year at the Library. Our membership remained steady at almost

      More artifacts from the          3,000 subscriptions, and we circulated 87,041 books, near an all-time high. Scholars

  Western Front and beyond             made use of our electronic resources, writers filled the Fifth Floor rooms, and our

                                       events and exhibitions were of high quality.

                               PAGE 6

                                       The Library also completed a major renovation of the Third Floor. In October, we

Travel and Exploration Books           opened the new and enlarged Children’s Library, which not only increased the amount

                                       of available shelving, but also provided a wonderful new space for young readers and an

                              PAGE 13  office for children’s staff. In addition, bookcases were added to the Whitridge Room to

                                       house the poetry collection from longtime trustee Ethelyn Chase. These two major

                                       improvements were made possible by some very generous capital gifts.



                                       With all that was accomplished last year, I am sometimes asked, “Does the Library

                                       really need more money beyond my membership dues? It’s been going for 260 years

                                       and seems to be doing so well.” The answer is definitely yes. If you divide the number

                                       of members by our annual expenses, the true cost is approximately $870 per membership.

                                       Membership fees cover about 27 percent of this figure, and the endowment takes care

                                       of another 53 percent. The remaining 20 percent comes largely from gifts made to the

                                       Annual Fund. From this brief analysis, you can see the important role that you, our

                                       members, play through your annual contributions in helping us maintain our high

                                       standards of service. We thank all of you whose ongoing generosity makes the Library

                                       what it is today—a place for reading and fellowship.



                                       I look forward to seeing you at the Library.



                                       Gratefully,



                                       Barbara Hadley Stanton

                                       Board Chair