Much of the information we read comes to us on various screens…computers, tablets, e-readers, even phones. The residents and staff of Wake Robin still treasure the experience of holding a real book with a sturdy library binding and protective cover. Whatever the content, a book has substance and weight. It is a comfortable tactile experience.
The library at Wake Robin is named after one of the original residents, Jean Connor. She got her degree in Library Sciences from Columbia University and had a career in the state library system of New York. Jean was the natural choice when it came to starting the collection at Wake Robin. In the early days, the “library” was a couple of boxes of books to lend and share. The collection has grown substantially and is housed in a beautiful, airy room with an adjacent lounge in the Community Center. There are extension libraries in the Butternut lounge and the Balsam neighborhood of the Linden Health Center.
Today, the Jean Connor Library contains about 5,000 general interest books with 200 new titles added each year. It is managed by 17 resident volunteers who take care of the day-to-day tasks of making entries to the database, returning books to the shelves, putting covers on new acquisitions, labelling the spine, and, yes, even creating cards for the card catalog!
In addition to the books, there are daily newspapers (NY Times, Burlington Free Press), a reference section, large dictionary, atlas, magnifying reader, and dozens of periodical titles.
Jean lived at Wake Robin for nearly 30 years and left us at the age of 102. She got to witness the growth of her library and left us all a legacy we can enjoy every day.
