Library Board Elects New Officers

The Cornelius H. Booth Library Board of Trustees elected new officers and honored longtime former board member Merlin Fisk at its meeting on July 8.

New officers include Dr Philip Kotch, president; Elizabeth Arneth, vice president; Richard Sturdevant, treasurer; and Patricia Denlinger, secretary.

The board honored longtime trustee Merlin Fisk, who resigned from the board recently because he had moved to Brookfield. Also honored was outgoing board president Joseph Humeston, who will remain as a board member. Mr Humeston has taken over the responsibility of president of the board of the Family Counseling Center, Inc.

Library Director Janet Woycik said circulation continues to grow. A total of 21,913 adult and juvenile items were checked out in June, compared to 16,943 in June 2002. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, the total was 240,696, compared to 210,380 the previous year.

“One of the highlights of this year was definitely Newtown Reads,” Mrs Woycik said. “Thanks to the Friends, 1,500 books were passed out to Newtowners in February. At least 24 book groups discussed the book.”

  The month of activities in Newtown Reads culminated with Tavern Night and a battlefield reenactment. “It was a lot of work –– it was wonderful,” Mrs Woycik said. “We hope to do it again in 2005 for Newtown’s tercentenary.”

  In January, Margaret Brown was hired to be the library’s first young adult librarian. The Scudder Smith Antique and Arts library also opened in January. The yearly fundraiser for The Love of Reading, held in conjunction with Women Involved in Newtown (WIN), raised about $2,000 for children’s books, and work on the new sidewalk is nearly completed, Mrs Woycik added.