It was close to 10 years ago that a dragon and a bagpiper led a parade of children—each child clutching a library book—from the old library on Fairbank Street to the new library at Old Bromfield. April ’07 was the proverbial end of the finish line, marking 17 months of construction, three years of design, six years of planning, and a decade of imagining for a project that came in on time and on budget. The Fund-Build-Enjoy campaign brought us parties (Storybook Ball, BBQ and Country Dance), newsletters, dragon ornaments, tote bags, notepads, stickers, champagne glasses, T-shirts, gargoyles, and a sense of pride in what we could accomplish if we all came together—which we did!
I will never forget the near unanimous vote in 2004 accompanied by a rare standing ovation on the floor of Annual Town Meeting. It was a special time for me and for all of us who worked on the library project. Though no longer a trustee, I am amazed every time I walk through the doors; the new library truly is all that was promised: a beautifully restored Old Bromfield, a magnificent public space for performances and town use, and an expanded library that serves all ages. I am proud to have been part of it and look forward to celebrating along with all of you who Funded, Built, and are still Enjoying our gem of a library on Saturday, April 8, from 1 to 3 p.m. I am told there will be refreshments, cake, caricature drawings, balloon twisting, puzzles, games, a green screen, and a champagne toast! If you have a Fund-Build-Enjoy T-shirt, dig it out and put it on. I’ll be wearing mine!
Ginger Kendall, former chair of the Library Trustees
Orchard Hill
