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Hello Rumbo readers. Things are moving along here as we get ready
for our “Grand Re-Opening” in April. Louise Sandberg, our special
collections librarian, is gradually moving into the new public
archive area. We have the microfilm reader set up already and we
are getting her desk area functional. The computer and phone lines
have been hooked up so we will be ready to go very soon.
Louise is already having customers even though the room is not
officially open yet. As an extra aesthetic touch, we will have one
of the walls in this area covered by a mural celebrating the arts
and cultural side of our city’s history. We are very grateful to
Guy (Terry) Kelley from the Merrimack Valley Community Service
Corps for this mural. It was his project: he got the young people
engaged to do the art work and he also secured funding for the
project. Funding was provided by the White Fund Trustees who have
been so generous to both the library and countless other cultural
groups in Lawrence over many, many years.
I am particularly thrilled about having an archive that is
accessible, at least in part, to the public. This library has such
a wealth of photographs, local history reprint and first edition
books, artifacts and general memorabilia from Lawrence’s past that
I have always hated having nowhere to display any of it except in
areas where patrons do not have access. One could not ask for a
better, more enthusiastic “curator” for this material than Mrs.
Sandberg, but I know it must have been frustrating to her to be
busy collecting, preserving and cataloging all these fascinating
things that hardly anyone would see. Now we can have regular
public access to our material in a bright pleasant area of the
building. We look forward to the resources being used by people of
all ages—from our seniors who still remember the mill days to
class visits from school children getting their first taste of
their, and their city’s, heritage.
It is almost March and Lawrence will be celebrating Irish Heritage
Month. Mr. David Burke, one of the library trustees has, as usual,
been a driving force behind organizing a full month of cultural
and educational events in venues all over the city. The library is
proud to host a concert and sing-along of Irish favorites
performed by George and Terri Kelley. The performance will take
place on March 19th at 2:00 in the Sargent Auditorium. Don’t miss
the opportunity to hear these two talented artists perform. An
extra treat is that Ms. Kelley will accompany the singing on the
White Fund’s beautifully restored Steinway piano. We are very
proud to house this magnificent instrument here and want to
welcome you all to join us to enjoy what will surely be a
top-notch performance. The concert is free and open to all.
Well, I am off to the Essex Art Center to celebrate another
cultural triumph for our city. The Gateway Reviviendo Initiative,
with the support of the Lawrence Cultural Alliance, has received a
prestigious Abigail Adams Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural
Council. The grant will fund their Viva Lawrence! project. This
certainly is an exciting time to be part of the cultural community
of this city. See you at the library.
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