Whiting Free Library featured in 'Seven Days'

The Whiting Free Library was featured in the February 19, 2020, issue of the weekly Vermont newspaper, Seven Days. The article, entitled "Check This Out: Public Libraries Adapt to the 21st Century," discussed how Vermont libraries are working to keep pace with changing times. Near the end of the article, under a subheading, "Plugged In," fifteen paragraphs were dedicated to Whiting Free Library. The section celebrated the library's recent move from the former Baptist church on North Main Street to the second floor of Town Hall and the addition of "modern" conveniences, like electricity. The story contained quotes from Library Trustee Tara Trudo.

Seven Days website

The article also featured discussions of libraries in Middlebury, Pittsford, Vergennes, South Hero, South Burlington and Montpelier.

2017 library hours

The Whiting Free Library has announced its Summer 2017 schedule:

Library open house Saturday

The Whiting Free Library 

will hold its open house 

on Saturday, June 4, 

from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

The open house kicks off the summer season. During the summer, the library will be open on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and Mondays from 6 to 7 p.m., with children's storytime on Wednesday mornings (June 15 to Aug. 3) at 10 a.m.

Library open house Saturday, June 14

The Whiting Free Library has announced its schedule for summer 2014. The library will be open Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon.

The season kicks off with an open house on Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be signups for the Summer Reading Program and science activities. (Each Saturday, participants can pick up a new Science Challenge to do at home.) Science Nights, featuring concepts from physics and chemistry, are scheduled for Thursdays, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., through the end of July (except July 3). Science challenge participants will gather for a "Mad Scientist Party" in September.

Children's story time will be held Wednesdays at 10 a.m., June 18 through July 30. The last story time session will include a Royal Tea Party.

The library is looking for teens and adults to reshelf books, lead reading programs, lead and assist story time programs, provide snacks for events, and serve as actors for a Haunted Library event in the fall. Those interested should stop by the library to volunteer.

JUNE

• Sat. 14th - Open house, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Wed. 18th - Children's Story Time, 10 a.m.
• Thu. 19th - Science night, Marble Mazes, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Sat. 21st - Regular hours, 9 a.m. - noon.
• Wed. 25th - Children's Story Time, 10 a.m.
• Thu. 26th - Science night, Lava Lamps, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Sat. 28th - Regular hours, 9 a.m. - noon.

JULY

• Wed. 2nd - Children's Story Time, 10 a.m.
• Sat. 5th - Regular hours, 9 a.m. - noon.
• Wed. 9th - Children's Story Time, 10 a.m.
• Thu. 10th - Science night, Deconstructing electronics - 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Sat. 12th - Regular hours, 9 a.m. - noon.
• Wed, 16th - Children's Story Time, 10 a.m.
• Thu. 17th - Science night, Potato battery - 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Sat. 19th - Regular hours, 9 a.m. - noon.
• Wed. 23rd - Children's Story Time, 10 a.m.
• Thu. 24th - Science night, Dominoes chain reaction - 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Sat. 26th - Regular hours, 9 a.m. - noon.
• Wed. 30th - Children's Story Time (Royal Tea Party), 10 a.m.
• Thu. 31st - Science night, Egg drop - 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Click here to visit the Whiting Free Library on Facebook!

Library friends group meets Thursday, April 11

The second organizational meeting of the Friends of the Whiting Free Library is scheduled for 7 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, April 11) at the Town Hall. On the agenda is a discussion of organization bylaws.
A half-dozen interested residents turned out for the initial meeting two weeks ago.
A report on that meeting can be found here: Friends group organizes (March 29, 2013)

Friends group organizes

A half dozen Whiting residents are taking the first steps toward establishing a not-for-profit charitable corporation that would help fund improvements at the historically neglected Whiting Free Library.

The residents attended a preliminary meeting of the Friends of Whiting Free Library last night, briefly discussing the status of the library, the process of forming a charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code and possible fundraising events. Library Trustees Tammy Wilbur and Heather Mattison were on hand to facilitate the discussion.

The Whiting Free Library occupies a former Baptist church on Route 30 near the town's four corners. The structure is in dire need of repair and upgrade. It has no electricity, no heat and no plumbing. Due to its shortcomings and its lack of budget for a staff, the library is open only in the summer and only for brief periods. The current schedule includes children's storytime sessions on summer Wednesdays at 10 a.m., "Adult Social" sessions Thursdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and "Summer Activity" on Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m.

Noting the lack of bathroom facilities at the library, Trustee Heather Mattison joked that library visitors "have to plan ahead."

The Town of Whiting has studied a number of possibilities for improvements to the library structure, including moving the library further south on Route 30 to be closer to the Town Hall and the Whiting School. Some thought has been given to incorporating town offices into a new library building. Funding for any improvements is lacking, according to Trustee Tammy Wilbur, who also serves part-time as librarian.

The forming Friends group is hopeful of obtaining financial grants to partly cover building costs and is seeking the assistance of an experienced grant writer.

Members mulled extending the library's open hours through volunteerism, helping to "card" and organize the library's book collections and raising funds through book sales and less typical events, such as a "Kiss the Pig" contest. Wilbur said a number of local personalities already have offered to take part in a "Kiss the Pig" fundraiser, in which residents vote through cash contributions on who must kiss a local hog on the snout. The "winner" delivers the swine-smooch at a public event.

The group decided that its first task would be adopting by-laws. Members agreed to research the by-laws of other Friends organizations and report back their findings at an April 11 meeting, 7 p.m. at the town hall. The group hopes that other interested residents will attend.

LINKS:
Friends of Libraries USA Sample Bylaws
Friends of the Burnham (Colchester VT) Memorial Library Bylaws
Friends of the Platt Memorial (Shoreham VT) Library Website
Friends of the Rockingham (VT) Library Inc. Bylaws
Friends of the Weathersfield (VT) Proctor Library Incorporated Bylaws
New Hampshire State Library Sample Friends Group Bylaws

Whiting Free Library update

Following is the text of a mailing sent by Library Trustee Tammy Wilbur on March 1.

Whiting Free Library

In 2012 many changes took place at the library. We began in the spring with the purchase of some much needed shelving. The shelving was purchased used, but added a fresh new look to all areas of the building. We then spent many hours sorting and shelving all of the books. This was complicated by the need to be very aware of our arrangement of shelving (because of the need for foundation work, the sagging floor necessitates that all of the shelves be arranged close to the outer walls). For this reason, we tried to leave an open area for seating in the middle of the building. 

Whiting Free Library

We also arranged shelving in one of the small back rooms to accommodate a special young adult area. This room connects to another very small room in the back of the building that we hope, this spring, to arrange as a young adult reading area (basically, a couple of chairs and something nice on the walls).

We also began the work of looking into grants and opportunities that would enable us to go forward with the plan to build a new, more efficient and usable library building. We realized that this would take some time as we really wanted to do the best job that we could and we had to do it when we were not working at our "real" jobs. We learned that some grants required matching funds and some needed to be requested from a non-profit organization. For this reason, we are asking for your help to create an organization called the "Friends of the Whiting Library." This would be a 501(C) 3 or non-profit organization whose focus would be supporting the library. We would like to have interested individuals meet on Thursday, March 28, at the Town Hall to begin this work. Also, if anyone has any time and experience with grant writing, we would love the help. 

In order to look at the matching grant opportunities, we decided that we had better begin some fundraising on our own. This past fall we held a basket raffle that was a great success - we made $1,225. Thank you to all who contributed as well as those who purchased tickets. This event was enjoyed by many and we have decided to make it an annual fundraising event. If anyone has any great ideas for or interest in making a basket this year, please contact us. We will be asking for the items or baskets by the beginning of November.

Our short term goals for this year include the following: 

1. Clean, paint and organize the other entry room as a work room. 
2. Arrange the small back room as a young adult reading room or quiet area. 
3. Organize the "Friends" group. 

Hopefully, you will see these goals met by our open house which will be on Saturday, May 18th from 9 a.m.-noon.

Our long term goals for this year include: 

1. Continued fundraising events. 
2. Continued work on carding and organizing our library collections. 
3. Creating a timeline in which to apply for grants and present to the town our findings.

If you have questions or concerns please contact any of your library trustees! Thank you for your continued support.

Tammy Wilbur