A Note From Nancy
Today, let me talk about hope, optimism, and resilience.
In 1935, during The Great Depression – one of the longest and deepest economic downturns in the United States – the Andover Public Library opened its doors. What an act of public hope and confidence that we would survive those times. Our early founders, and members of the community, sensed that having a strong, public library – accessible to all – could be a necessary ingredient to help sustain peoples’ hope and find ways to thrive and survive.
Author Ray Bradbury wrote, “when I graduated from high school, it was during the Depression and we had no money. I could not go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years.”
What we offer residents today is different than it was in the beginning. For example, no one was looking for audio books or computer training. As times change, we’ve been a consistent, helpful presence
Actress Katharine Hepburn, who says libraries played a critical role in her life, asks, “what in the world would we do without libraries?”
I asked the same question as I watched the movie Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story.
The young Ben Carson was not a good student. He struggled to pass. But no way, no how was his mom – a single mother who suffered from, at times, debilitating clinical depression – going to let her son fail. She limited the amount of time Ben and his brother could spend watching television. And she required them to read and write book reports on two library books per week..
That’s when things began to change for Ben. The library opened his imagination. Unlocked his potential. Helped him discover the joy of reading and lifelong learning. From his Detroit neighborhood he went on to become one of the world’s top neurosurgeons, and later served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the Trump administration.
I point to Dr. Carson and say, “behind every great man is a public library.” Perhaps the next great scientist, inventor, writer, artist, or business owner is visiting our library today? I sure hope so.
Spring is a time of new beginnings, hope, optimism, and resilience. Enjoy the season. On behalf of all the staff – past and present – thanks for your ongoing support of The Andover Public Library. Afterall, a strong public library helps make a strong community.
Sincerely,
Nancy Logan, Direcor