Library 29: Glover Public Library
Emergency political puppetry.
Library 29! The Glover Public Library was the 29th stop on my quest to read, write, and knit in as many of Vermont’s public libraries as I can during my sabbatical.
I read: BIG by Vashti Harrison, a children’s book about body affirmation and inclusivity
I wrote: a question to myself about the difference between a “free” library and a “public” library (I don’t know the answer yet)
I knit: an emotional support chicken
This tiny municipal library shares its building with a town clerk’s office and historical society. Glover is home to Bread and Puppet, a beloved political theater and puppet company, who had posted a hand-written note about an emergency performance on the town clerk’s notice board just prior to my visit here. We often take out-of-state guests to Bread & Puppet. It is weird. And meaningful. And unique. And Vermonty. My most memorable Bread & Puppet experience was an emergency performance on November 9, 2016. It was needed. They fed us pesto on fresh baked bread. A lot of us were crying.
In happier news, this library has a framed map on the wall that shows Vermont libraries in 1914!! Gold!! According to this map, there were 225 libraries in Vermont in 1914. I am not sure if this number includes school or academic libraries. If not, that’s more libraries than exist now (the Vermont Library Association says the current count is 187). This made me wonder about the difference between a public library and a free library. I bet I can find the answer at a library.
Fortunately the Glover library was not hit by the 2023 flood, despite being next to the river. This fairy house (last photo) was surrounded by raging flood waters, though, and came out standing. Library director Toni tells a great story about this fairy house that must be heard in person. I can’t do it justice here, but the story is an example of how deeply personal and meaningful every single item in a library is to a community. And if not to the entire community, at least to the librarian. And that’s enough to make it meaningful.
Toni told me that after the flood, the cedar wood in the fairy house got a bit soft. Sometime when the patron who built it is in a good mood, she said, she might ask him to repair it. Librarians: Thank you for loving us, despite our moods and quirks and bad days and millions of questions.
Later post from July 2024, related to this library:
In celebration of a great podcast episode of Before your Time I just listened to (h/t @celestihel) called “The Library Map of Vermont” (a Vermont Historical Society production), here is an updated map of my quest to knit in all of Vermont’s libraries, with some stats & facts that people who grew up in Vermont probably know, but that were new to me:
I have visited 111 libraries, but only 98 municipalities, because many municipalities have multiple libraries.
“Municipality” in Vermont means Town (we have 237, according to Wikipedia) or City (we have 10), but not “incorporated village” (30 total) or “gore,” (4 total). There are also “unincorporated towns” which don’t have organized governance. This map shows towns, cities, & gores.
The 251 Club is a challenge to visit all 252 municipalities; I’m not sure if that includes gores & unincorporated towns or not (?)
So far, the town of Hartford has the most public libraries, with four total (Wilder, Hartford, West Hartford, and Quechee).
I think Windsor County has the most libraries of the 14 counties (but I haven’t been to all of them so my count could be off)
Essex and Grand Isle counties are tied for least libraries, with 5 each (I haven’t been to the Essex libraries so my count could be off there, too).
There is a copy of the 1914 library map discussed in the podcast hanging in the Glover Public Library in case you’d like to see a copy IRL.
Grande Isle is the only county in Vermont in which every municipality has a library.
Vermont has more public libraries per capita than any other state.
Vermont is home to a walking library encyclopedia named @iamthebestartist who can find knowledge others thought didn’t exist about libraries.
Common features of libraries in Vermont: taxidermy, fireplaces, card catalogs turned into seed libraries, WiFi that is accessible from the parking lot, art exhibits, libraries of things, and busts.
Funding structures differ greatly across libraries; some are funded primarily by the municipality with multiple full time staff; others rely primarily on community fundraising and are kept open ~5 hrs/wk by volunteers.
Toni is fabulous!