By Kathy Bousquet
The Little Seed Shelf is sprouting this spring at the South Berwick Public Library, just one of the new programs brought to the town by South Berwick’s newly appointed library director.
Melissa Robinson came to South Berwick in December with 22 years experience, most recently as librarian at both Coastal Ridge and Village Elementary schools in York. Before that she was director at the Peabody Public Library in Peabody, Mass.
A lifelong love of reading initially motivated Robinson to become a librarian, but the way libraries connect people to each other within a community is what has kept her involved.
“While I love books so much, I think what has kept me in the library for 22 years is community,” Robinson said.
Longtime colleague and friend Kelley Rae Unger of Peabody reiterated Robinson’s commitment to the people and town she serves.
For instance, she noted, Robinson discovered a core group of kids in Peabody whose families needed food assistance and she established the library as a site for the Project Bread Summer Food Program.
“Not only did Melissa make sure that those lunches were available, but she scheduled programs and activities that ran at the same time,” Unger said. “Those activities took away the stigma of attending a free lunch program, and made it fun for kids to be there.”
Already, Robinson is demonstrating this commitment to community in South Berwick. One of her first projects, in collaboration with Moose Mountain Seed Savers and donations from library visitors, is The Little Seed Shelf.
An avid herbalist, Robinson wished to provide a way for people to swap, share or pick up seeds to begin or add to their gardens. An old card catalogue hosts a variety of seeds, both herbs and vegetables, along with books and resources for information pertaining to gardening.
Robinson also has established a monthly newsletter, “The Open Book.” An avid reader with a lean towards historical fiction, light fantasy, healing fiction and biographies, she shares in the newsletter summaries of her current and favorite reads, titles for specific genres, and books suggested by patrons.
With the support of the Friends of the South Berwick Library, Robinson has created free access to an online author series called Virtual Live and On Demand Author Visit. This service provides two new live virtual author visits every month and includes an archive with previous talks.
“People can register and submit questions in advance for the authors. These are big bestsellers like TJ Klune, Jody Piccoult and other authors who live far away,” Robinson said. She hopes book clubs in particular find this a valuable resource.
During her first few months, Robinson made it a point to get out the word about items other than books available at the library. Displays of baking pans, musical instruments, puzzles and DVDs filled the lobby, and photos of these items were posted on the library’s Facebook page.
“This is a very vibrant library,” Robinson said, noting that last year 35,932 books were circulated and 369 programs offered, serving about 4,800 people.”For a community this size, it shows the library is serving the community well.”
Robinson’s priority in these first months has been strategic planning to find out what the community wants, what residents value that is already being done, and what can be added or changed to attract even more people.
To accomplish this goal, Robinson and her team have established “Imagine Our Next Chapter.” This will include a survey for public input that is available in print at the library, Community Center and Town Hall or may be completed online through the library’s Facebook page.
In addition, a question of the month is posted at the library entrance. Visitors of all ages are invited to record a response to questions such as “What do you love about the South Berwick Library? Or “What programs do you want at the South Berwick Library?
By working in partnership with the community, imagining and creating a path for the future, Robinson envisions a library that inspires, informs and brings people together.
