2024 Annual Report

Between budget challenges, staffing changes, and the fresh pursuit of necessary building improvements, 2024 was a year marked by new beginnings for the Orange Public Libraries. While some events over the past year sorely tested the resilience of the institution as a whole, the library staff’s dedication to delivering robust services and engaging programming and the Board of Library Trustees’ commitment to their faithful stewardship remained constant.

Budget

Due to a shortfall in the Town budget, the Orange Public Libraries began the FY25 budget process with zero (0) dollars allocated to them by the Town Administrator and the Board of Selectmen. In response, the Libraries and their supporters mounted a campaign to restore the funds needed to meet the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR) with the aim of maintaining the Libraries’ certification. After several meetings with members of the Finance Committee, the Board of Selectmen, the Town Administrator, and finally with the public at annual town meeting, funding in the amount of $375,000.00 was secured. This met the Libraries’ MAR, ensuring that the citizens of Orange would be able to borrow items from other libraries in our regional consortium CW MARS, take advantage of inter-library loan services, and retain access to electronic resources provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It also ensured that annual State aid monies would be disbursed to the Orange Public Libraries, thereby reducing the tax burden on the citizens of Orange.

Staff and Trustees

Library Director Jessica Magelaner resigned effective May 3rd after eight years in the role. Children’s Librarian Jason Sullivan-Flynn was then appointed Acting Director while the Board of Library Trustees undertook a search for Ms. Magelaner’s replacement. He was appointed permanent Director on May 14. With the Children’s Librarian position then vacant, a hiring committee was formed to search for Mr. SullivanFlynn’s replacement. The position was soon offered to April Violette of Vernon, Connecticut. She is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University and will receive her MLIS degree from the University of Indiana – Indianapolis by June 30, 2025. She is bright, creative, and a natural children’s librarian. We’re fortunate to have her on our team!

Due to the aforementioned budget shortfall, in 2024 the Orange Public Libraries laid off one circulation assistant in the Adult Services Department. Two members of the Board of Library Trustees, Robin Shtulman and Nate Johnson left the board this year. They have been replaced by Christine Mullen and Amy Borezo. Candace Cross, Joanne Woodcock, Priscilla Gaignard, and Jessica Morris continue to serve.

Building Improvements

Thanks to an Americans with Disabilities Act Grant secured by the Town of Orange’s Community Development Department, construction of a handicapped access ramp at the Wheeler Memorial Library’s basement door began in May. When finished, this ramp will allow patrons with mobility issues to enter the library’s Children’s and Community Rooms. Regrettably, given the absence of an elevator in the building those patrons will still not have access to the adult collection, the reading room, the adult patron computers, or the restroom. (Full handicapped access to library services remains available at our Moore Leland branch library in North Orange however.) This is the first major renovation undertaken at the Wheeler Memorial Library since its construction in 1914.

Unfortunately, ramp construction hit a snag when the contractor hired to build the ramp incorrectly configured the drainage. This resulted in the library’s lower level flooding during the spring’s severe thunderstorms. The contractor was obliged to tear up the concrete he had poured and the Orange Public Libraries paid to have the drainage repaired out of its annual budget. Due to that flooding, the carpet in the Community Room and hallway was destroyed, and the vinyl floor tiles in the Children’s Room began coming loose. Fortunately no books, media, or computers were damaged. The flooring will be repaired in the spring using funds from an insurance claim filed by the Town of Orange. The ramp construction and floor restoration are expected to be completed by June 30, 2025.

Consequently, the Libraries’ Children’s Services Department moved its programs to the Moore Leland branch library. The dramatic increase in use of the facility promptly resulted in a backed up toilet drain pipe. The flood that followed destroyed supplies and toys in the staff workroom, but any further damage was prevented thanks to Children’s Librarian April Violette and Children’s Assistant Kathryn Chaisson’s quick thinking and prompt response. The restroom was then brought to full ADA compliance with the installation of a modern toilet.

There were also improvements made that were not necessitated by disastrous surprises. The most significant of these was the replacement of the bulb sockets, brackets, and globes on the two historic lamp posts at the main entrance of the Wheeler Memorial Library. Due to the age of the lamp posts and the need to stay true to the original design, a great deal of effort was made to source the new fixtures and to modify them to fit the posts.The lamp posts are now beautiful again and the front stairs are well lit and much safer to use at night.

Services and Policies

The Libraries’ website, orangelib.org, has been redesigned and is now more usable on mobile devices. The public can now easily access information about our program offerings, library policies, electronic resources like Ancestry, our research databases, and our digital archive of regional newspapers. We added 40 digitized rolls of microfilm of the Athol Daily News to the archive this year.

The Board of Library Trustees and the Library Director have begun reviewing and revising the Libraries’ policies, beginning with our Acceptable Computer Use and Internet Safety Policy. This policy is designed to promote access to the Internet while protecting children from exposure to inappropriate material, as well as the public from unlawful access to and use or disclosure of personal information, and unauthorized access to legally restricted areas. By adopting this policy and by installing Cisco Umbrella on the computers in the Libraries’ computer network in 2025 we are complying with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), enacted by Congress in 2000. This allows the Orange Public Libraries, with the assistance of our regional consortium CW MARS, to apply for the Federal Communication Commission’s E-Rate Category 2 which will provide the Libraries with an 80% discount on certain pieces of network hardware. The full Acceptable Computer Use and Internet Safety Policy can be found on the POLICIES page on orangelib.org.

Programming

Though the 2024 Children’s Summer Reading Program was scuttled by the flooding in the Wheeler Memorial Library’s lower level, the Orange Public Libraries held many successful programs throughout the year. Children’s programming included our online children’s book club, now re-branded as Chapter Champions. The book club is designed for children ages 7 – 10 years of age and is supported by the Friends of the Orange Public Libraries. Our ever-popular LEGO club was a continued success at the Moore Leland branch library, and Children’s Librarian April Violette ran many popular craft programs and story times, as well as a stuffed animal sleepover party. The Children’s Services Department also partnered with the Fire Department during Fire Prevention Week by offering a two firetruck touch-a-truck experience for families in the Wheeler Memorial Library’s parking lot.

Regular adult programming in 2024 included Rusty Shaw’s knitting and crocheting group, a Friday Night Film Series, a writing group, a weekly gentle exercise class administered by the Athol YMCA, and a seed exchange at Moore Leland Library. Special programs included “Immigrant Songs” with Daniel Gay, Strong Towns with Charles Marohn, and our 11th Annual Robert P. Collén Poetry Competition. This was an especially successful year for the competition; we had fifteen contestants who submitted a total of 27 poems. We were honored to have had Robert’s widow, Gloria Collén, and his two daughters Victoria Cudmore and Janice Tkal present at the awards ceremony.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Board of Library Trustees,

Jason Sullivan-Flynn, Library Director