Walking into the Joslin Memorial Library readers find a building that has both an old and new feeling to it. Donated by George Joslin in memory of his grandfather, Joseph, the library was constructed in the spring of 1913 and dedicated in October 1913. The 1913 architecture, the marble foyer and the stained-glass skylight all hearken back to an earlier day. But then one sees the computers laid out for patrons, the newest bestsellers on the shelves and the bar-coding computer project that is underway and it is apparent that change has come to the library over the years.
As much as things change they also stay the same. When the library opened in 1913 the librarian also was the person who kept things running smoothly. Flora Moriarty had plenty of experience; she had been a librarian even before Joslin was built. In the early 1900s Flora Moriarty was librarian upstairs in the Eaton Building. Of course Flora didn't have computers but she did have some good reading material. She was librarian for 40 years. Flora had an assistant who eventually became head librarian when she left. Laura McAllister not only was the librarian, she was also the janitor. She was paid the sum of $100 yearly for both jobs. Flora was paid $30 annually as a librarian. The library was open from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., three days a week.
After these ladies, there was a series of librarians, some of whom were teachers. They divided their time between the library and school. Ella Chapman was librarian from 1947 to 1965 but she also taught seventh and eighth grade at the Waitsfield School. Marion Barton, librarian from 1970 to 1975, also taught second and third grades for 17 years. In 1975, Frances Merchant succeeded Marion Barton as librarian. Frances started many innovative programs for the library including the children's story hours led by Laura Brines and a monthly travelogue program. The puppet show for the children in 1975 saw 40 youngsters sitting on the side lawn outside the library watching the show.
After Frances resigned, there were five librarians within seven years. Most of them served for one or two years. Then Betty Howlett was hired in 1991. Betty was librarian for 16 years and did an outstanding job. Her friendly personality and wry sense of humor made going into the library a great experience. She relied on the volunteers to help in all phases of work. When Betty was on vacation, the volunteers ran the library. When Betty retired in 2007, Jessica Joyal became the new librarian. Jessica was an energetic and hard-working lady who always had a friendly smile and was ready to help patrons find books and manage the computers. When Jessica decided to pursue a different career, Joy Worland was hired in 2009. Joy is leading a group of volunteers who are busy computerizing the library. She is also pursuing new programs and keeping the library collection up to date.
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