THE NORMAN WILLIAMS PUBLIC LIBRARY
10 THE GREEN, WOODSTOCK, VERMONT
The Norman Williams Public Library (NWPL) is a private Not-For-Profit Corporation celebrating our 130th year of service to the community. NWPL’s mission is to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of the Greater Woodstock Community by providing access to literature, culture, current information, and technology; promoting the love of reading; fostering the free and open exchange of ideas; serving as a gathering place for people of all ages; and supporting lifelong learning for all. We have a primary focus on digital literacy and provide free one-on-one tutorials and information-technology training. The library also provides a safe place for children to go after school to be with friends, do homework and pursue special interests.
This past year NWPL provided nearly 400 programs split equally between offerings for children and adults. Attendance at those programs averaged 700-1200 monthly. The library presents diverse programs which are provided free of charge and designed to enrich the community and fulfill the mission of the library. Programs are frequently organized in collaboration with other nonprofits and individuals. Recent programs include: author and poetry readings; discussions about the classics; dance and gardening classes; children’s story hour; pre-literacy training for young parents; Business Effectiveness Series; Stories of Woodstock Past; What’s on Your Nightstand Book Reviews: The Downton Abbey Support Group and discussion about community and spirituality with local clergy. Local theater previews on the mezzanine are held in collaboration with Pentangle Arts, BarnArts, Artistree, Northern Stage and Opera North. The library partners with the Bookstock Literary Festival and Digital Media Festival on these popular annual events. The library’s Art @ The Mezz gives local artists a venue to display their work and Music @ The Mezz provides a performance space for local musicians — including elementary and high school students — to share their talents.
Centrally located on the Village Green, our historic building is a natural place for the Learning Collaborative courses, Memoir Writing classes, studies of great literature, technology education, and non-profit board meetings for a variety of local organizations. The library is also a popular spot for quiet reading, research and student homework. NWPL provides free Internet access both within our building and broadly in the Village of Woodstock through our Wireless Woodstock Initiative.
NWPL is open six days (46 hours) per week. Of roughly 3,000 Woodstock citizens, about 2,000 are active library cardholders. The 71,000 visits to the library in 2014 represents an 11% increase over the previous year’s visits. The library collection totals 54,000 books and includes DVDs, audio books, newspapers, journal subscriptions, eBooks, and access to hundreds of databases. Forty-five thousand (45,000) books and information sources circulated this past year. About half of this circulation is for materials from the Children and Youth Library. The two full-time staff members are joined by a dedicated group of part-time staffers and volunteers, whose talents and commitment enable us to provide a wide breadth of services and programs. NWPL is the Cornerstone of the Community and is served by a Board of Trustees and Corporators who provide fiduciary oversight and are responsible for the welfare of the Library and its patrons.
●● The Board meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 5:15 pm. The public is welcome. ●●
normanwilliams.org
Respectfully Submitted,
(802) 457-2295
Jennifer Belton, Executive Director
Library Full-time Staff
Jennifer Belton, Executive Director Melissa Strayton, Director of Youth Services
Library Part-time Staff
Kathy Beaird, Director of Library Services Michael Ricci, Director of Development
Jann Lee, Librarian Dave Sullivan, Director of Information Technology
Clare McFarland, Librarian Danelle Sims, Librarian
Ellen DesMeules, Librarian Heidi White, Director of Programming
Sherry Wian, Librarian
Library Volunteers
Louie Ahlen John Bieling Rebecca Boardman Mary Costella Jenny Havard Ria Heinz
Mac McCleland Joan McGee* Keegan Moriarty Rose Mroszczyk Akankha Perkins Mia Pine Barbara Simmons Leigh Snell Elizabeth Stevens
*Please see dedication of Annual Report on Page 4.
Student Volunteers
Mary Ann Bees Jessica Burrell Nathan DeDell Katie Dembinsky Teddy Krewczyk Poppy Tans
Members – Corporators
NWPL is a private Not-For-Profit Corporation and as such members are the actual owners of the corporation and are responsible for the welfare of the Library and its patrons. A listing of Corporators appears on Page 4.
Board of Trustees
Jack McGuire, President Townsend Belisle, Vice President Garfield Goodrum, Treasurer
Sarah Roberts, Secretary Andy Caffrey Bobbi Dagger Ann Debevoise Peggy Fraser Regina Lawrence Chris Lloyd Courtney Lowe
Anne Marinello Susan Morgan Ann Sadowsky
●● The Board meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 5:15 pm. The public is welcome. ●●
Mission Statement
The Mission of Norman Williams Public Library is to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of the greater Woodstock community by providing access to literature, culture, current information, and technology; promoting the love of reading; fostering the free and open exchange of ideas; serving as a gathering place for people of all ages; and supporting lifelong learning for all.
Library Programs
NWPL Programs are provided free of charge. They are designed to enrich the community and fulfill the mission of the library. Programs are frequently organized in collaboration with local organizations and individuals. Recent programs include: author readings; discussions on religion and spirituality; discussions about the classics; youth musical performances; Tai Chi, dance and gardening classes; children’s story hour; pre-literacy training for young parents; Business Effectiveness Series; Stories of Woodstock Past; What’s on Your Nightstand Book Reviews; The Downton Abbey Support Group and local theater previews. The library hosts numerous literary programs in collaboration with Bookstock. A revolving gallery in the library mezzanine displays of the work of local artists.
Friends of Norman Williams Public Library
This volunteer group is dedicated to promoting literacy, library awareness and community support and provides a wide variety of cultural and educational programs.
Events and Meeting Rooms
Located in the center of Woodstock on the Village Green, the library is a natural place for the Learning Collaborative courses, memoir writing classes, studies of great literature, technology education, and non-profit board meetings. Weddings and other social events are also held in our historic building on the Village Green.
Legacy Society and Endowment
Legacy Society members have demonstrated their commitment to preserve the library for the next generation. Their commitment ensures that Norman Williams Public Library will continue to be a valuable community resource in the future. The NWPL Legacy Society, our planned giving program, is comprised of individuals who have named the library in their long range philanthropic plan. Legacy Society members ensure the long-term relevance and viability of the NWPL through their support. Members of the Legacy Society continue the story begun 130 years ago, when Dr. Edward H. Williams decided he would make a difference to this community. In his will he made a bequest in honor of his parents to provide Woodstock and surrounding towns with a library. Legacy Society members continue to make that difference by ensuring that our library will be here and relevant for future generations. Gifts to the NWPL Endowment Fund made through planned giving or given directly to NWPL provide a vital part of the operational funds necessary to run the library.
Please contact the Library for financial report.