April’s Director’s Report

Happy Spring to all…not sure about you, but after this snowy winter, I am ready for sunny days, bright flowers and reading outside!

As many of you know from the Town Administrator’s update in the Cricket, the design for a new accessible restroom at the Library is almost finished! The cost of the design was funded by $70,000 approved by voters at the 2025 Town Meeting. It has been a long process and we appreciate everyone’s patience! We are hopeful construction of the restroom will take place in FY27, without significant disruption to our regular open hours. The design features a fully ADA-compliant restroom that will be much more comfortable for all our visitors. The space for the restroom involves reworking the current Director’s office space, with an entrance off of the reference room. If you are interested in learning more about the project, please take a look at our recent update on the website. Funding for the construction, in the amount of $250,000, is subject to approval by voters at the Annual Town Meeting on April 27 and the election on May 19.

Celebrations abound in April: We’ll celebrate National Poetry Month with our annual all-ages contest and reading; we’ll help you “Find Your Joy” during National Library Week (April 19-25) and beginning April 21st (through May 9), you can participate in the Revolutionary Library Crawl where you’ll visit libraries in the region (including ours) with activities to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution! Learn more about all these activities on our website.

We have more wonderful programs coming up this month, including the Hearthside Book Club’s meeting to discuss the classic Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Although written in the 90s, this classic title with themes of a world changed by climate change, economic crisis and anarchy is a very timely read. This may be the perfect month to join in this longstanding book club.

Another fabulous program we’re looking forward to is Crafting a Legacy: How the PEM brought Edmonia Lewis’s Sculpture to Life. We’ll hear from the curator of the Peabody-Essex Museum, Jeffery Richard-Moll about Lewis’s artistic career as he gives a behind-the- scenes look at their current exhibit featuring the artist’s works. Registration is required for this program which will take place on April 14 at 6:30 in the FPC Community Hall. Check our website for more details and to register.

With so much to do, we’re sure you’ll “Find Your Joy” at the Library this month!

Happy Spring, and as always, Happy Reading!

Cynthia Gemmell, Library Director