The winter was hard on the front of the Tucker Free Library. When all the snow and ice had melted, we found several issues that needed addressing. Most pressing was the deteriorating condition of the brick planters that were on the granite entranceway. Not only were they not visually appealing in their state of deterioration, but they also had become a safety hazard because they were no longer attached to the granite. They have been removed and alternatives are still being looked at but so far, the cost of replacing them has been prohibitive.

Three local landscaping companies came in to offer suggestions. All the experts concurred that the grandeur of the building was hidden by the overgrown burning bushes (which are on the invasive species list) and the spindly rhodi and azalea. It was also brought to our attention by one company that serious erosion of our dripline was occurring and needed immediate work to prevent damage to the foundation in the front of the building.

The work in front of the library was completed by the Henniker Parks Department & Three Seasons Landscaping. The Parks Department came in and power washed the front of the building to remove lichen and algae that was growing on the damp, sun deprived foundation. Three Seasons Landscaping completed the remaining work. They donated the use of the excavator and much of the labor for the job. They offered us discounts on the materials that were used: landscaping cloth, dripline materials, and the bark for the planting beds. They have also agreed to develop a beautification plan which will include a planting schematic and a paving plan for the front walkway.

The Board of Trustees agree that no cosmetic enhancements will be made until the local economy improves, but will take the beautification plan under advisement if money should become available through donation or gifts.

While looking for grant opportunities I stumbled across the Art Resource Transfer program which provides free art books to libraries. The goal of the Distribution to Underserved Communities (DUC Program) is to “make information about contemporary arts available to readers of all income levels in all geographic locations. We are committed to fostering partnerships between publishers, non-profit organizations, librarians and readers to enrich and diversify library collections.

Our box of free books is being cataloged and will be available for checkout soon!

If you have used the Tucker Free Library Movie Collection recently you have probably noticed two things: 1) we have been eliminating the VHS collections and 2) we have been adding a lot of DVDs. Our VHS collection was very old and new movies are not even released on VHS so we are gradually discarding them (and audio cassettes) from our collection.

How are we building our DVD collections? We supplement a very small budget for movies with fine money. The money generated from movie fines goes directly into purchasing more DVDs. So next time you pay your fine for an overdue DVD know that the $1 will eventually buy another DVD. The other way our collection grows is through donations of DVDs! Since January 2008 Henniker residents have donated 80 ADULT & 40 KID’s DVDs to our collection bringing the total number of choices to 375!

As you are doing your spring cleaning, rearranging your bookshelf, or emptying out your old media closet to make room for your new flat screen TV, remember “IF YOU DON’T WATCH IT SOMEONE ELSE CAN BY DONATING THAT DVD TO THE TUCKER FREE LIBRARY!” If we already own a title we accept those DVDs as well. Our DVDs are used many times and even though we clean and repair them, the discs show lots of wear and tear (which means skips and stops for you)! At any given time we may have a dozen discs in need of cleaning or repair and if we have a donated copy we use it to replace the worn-out DVDs.

HENNIKER RESIDENTS FLOCK TO TUCKER FREE LIBRARY FOR FREE MOVIES!
ADULT DVDs 234 OWNED 1410 CHECKOUTS
E-ROOM DVDs 71 OWNED 439 CHECKOUTS
J-ROOM DVDs 70 OWNED 665 CHECKOUTS

(Since we are no longer adding VHS movies to our collection, any donated VHS titles will be sold at our annual booksale.)

There were two great articles in the Sunday Concord Monitor that I thought our patrons would enjoy reading.  Click on the links below!

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090222/OPINION/902220338

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090222/OPINION/902220303

It was a busy year at the Tucker Free Library.  Henniker residents, like their counterparts across the country, have been flocking to the library in record numbers.  All areas of service have seen a marked increase in use, the most obvious being circulation with over 4,000 more check-outs this year than 2006, and 2,000 more than 2007!  Since December of 2005, 996 Henniker residents signed up as NEW PATRONS of the Tucker Free Library.  Numbers similar to this are being reported in all areas of the country; and as personal budgets tighten, more and more people are seeking the services of the local library.  The town library is an integral part of our community, offering free movies, books, newspapers, programs, internet service, and in some cases, a place to get warm.   Go to  tuckerfreelibrary.org to read the complete report!

If you haven’t already calculated your monthly saving using our LIBRARY VALUE calculator please do.  It is amazing how quickly the benefit of TFL adds up!  Check out this link for more reasons to use TFL:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/winter-library-visit.html

If you have come across any other articles talking about the benefits of library service email the link to me and I will post it.  My email address is:  lynnpiotrowicz@tuckerfreelibrary.org

This tool allows you to insert the number of items you check out each month and determine how much money you or your family saved by NOT BUYING them but instead BORROWING the items from the TUCKER FREE LIBRARY!

http://tuckerfreelibrary.org/libraryvaluecalculator.html

In a continuing effort to reduce energy costs and create a warmer environment for the community, the trustees of the Tucker Free Library replaced the window treatments on the main floor and lower level of the library.  The staff recently removed the shades which were installed in 1987 and replaced them with new DOUBLE CELLULAR BLINDS.  The double cellular blinds were selected for their high thermal performance.

When one walked past or sat next to the large windows, an obvious draft could be felt near them.  Cellular blinds were identified as a superior efficiency alternative in a recent report by the United States Department of Energy.  It was reported that window treatments such as cellular shades can reduce energy waste/cost by 20%.  Not all window coverings reduce energy waste/cost.  Window quilts are the most energy efficient, but have functional style limitations.  Bamboo blinds, wood blinds, and mini-blinds offer varying degrees of insulation, but without some kind of privacy liner the insulating value is minimal.  Cellular shades are reported to offer five times the thermal performance even on the most energy inefficient windows.

Double Pane – Uncovered Windows offer an R value of 1.9

                        1” Mini Blinds offer an R value of 2.3

                        Double Cellular Blinds offer an R value of 4.6

The window treatment replacement project marks the completion of three large efforts to reduce our dependency on the electric and heating oil utilities.  The first project was completed in September when the space between the attic floor and the main ceiling was filled with between 2.5 – 4.5 feet of insulation.  The second project in progress is the retrofitting of all the lamps/ballasts in the building to more efficient technology.  The library is participating in the PSNH Smart Start program to fund the retrofitting project.

The Tucker Free Library is participating in the PSNH Smart Start Project.  Earlier this year a lighting audit was completed on our building and it was determined that we could save a significant amount of electricity by switching out our old light fixtures with new state-of-the-art ballasts and bulbs.  The Nickerson Electrical Company is a subcontractor for Atlantic Energy/PSNH and will be at our library completing the work during the next several days.