Past, present and future

To the editor: The placement of two pictures presented to the Albert Wisner Public Library on Feb. 9 brought into sharp focus a pivotal moment in the life of this indispensable part of our community. The portrait of Nell Rothschild, volunteer par excellence, is hung on what was an outside wall of the original building (1927). The second picture, an authentic depiction of a local barn, painted by the late Dr. Donald Hull, is hung behind the circulation desk in the crowded lobby of the 1982 expansion of the Library. A 25-year-old expansion that is now overflowing with books and the technological advances of information in the 21st Century. An expansion which added space by placing stairs up into the existing reading room, by creating a second floor approached only with a staircase and by enhancing the basement as a “children’s room.” Let’s seize the moment. Build a new, more adequate and functional library, accessible to all, on a site in the village, for walkers and drivers alike. Shirley Gordon Past president and library trustee 1969-1982