ENFIELD — Libraries in many forms have been around for ages with the world’s oldest known library founded in the 7th century BC.
In the United States, the first free public library was established in 1833 in Peterborough, New Hampshire with the support of a municipal tax. But it wasn’t until 1874 that Enfield opened its first association library. And in 1896, the Enfield Library Association entrusted its collection to the Enfield Free Library, Enfield’s first publicly funded library.
On Saturday, Nov. 9, the public is invited to join the Friends of the Enfield Public Library, Enfield Culture and Arts Commission and Enfield Historical Society in celebrating 150 years of Enfield libraries.
The event, to take place at the Central Library on 104 Middle Rd., is geared to families and begins at 10 a.m. with party hats and button making bearing the library’s 150th Anniversary logo. The celebration continues at 11 a.m. with birthday cake — both vanilla and chocolate to choose from — as well as an opportunity for those attending to share for posterity their stories about visiting the Enfield libraries and their hopes for its future. Then, at noon, historian Jim Malley will offer a presentation on the history of the Enfield libraries.
“Your local library is the best deal in town with so many things to do, so many things to offer,” said Samantha Lee, head of Reference Services at the Enfield’s Central Public Library located on 104 Middle Rd.
Asked how libraries have changed over the years, Lee responded, “We’re not quiet anymore.”
“Libraries today are a place to celebrate reading and to satisfy one’s curiosity and the vast interests that so many individuals have. We have all kinds of materials to help people beyond just books on our shelves, including magazines, newspapers, audio books, videos and digital resources as they became available and gained popularity over the years,” Lee said.
But that’s not all. There are things you might not expect to find at your local library, at least in Enfield.
“We have lawn games to check out for fun in the summer, snow shoes for a healthy winter trek, snowman kits for family fun, calligraphy kits for those who want to practice the fancy art form of handwriting and design, and wood burning kits. And for those who want to make some music, we have a number of different musical instrument to check out and bring home including guitars, drums, ukuleles, various percussive instruments, violins and more,” she added.
While some may believe reading is on the decline, Lee thinks otherwise.
“People are absolutely continuing to read as books and formats have become more accessible through public and school libraries. We have 190 public libraries in Connecticut, that is more than the number of McDonald’s restaurants in the state,” she said.
But while kids love going to McDonald’s, they also love going to the library.
“We see many children visiting the library. Children’s libraries were first formed to encourage the development early literacy skills. Storytimes expose children and families to songs and stories that reinforce and strengthen language learning. The variety of exposure to different books helps young readers build vocabulary, recognize sentence structure, understand phonics and cadence — those are all foundational to developing strong reading skills. Crafts during story times are not only for lovely keepsakes, but help develop fine motor skills for later handwriting. Not to mention the social aspect for caregivers and kids during story times help people feel connected to each other and their community,” Lee said.
And, Lee, who joined the Enfield Library eight years ago after serving as librarian in West Haven, knows a good something about kids and reading.
“I spent many a time as a teenager in my hometown library in Middletown. In fact, my first job was at that library where I put books on the shelves. Staff there were very supportive and encouraged my curiosity through the library’s collection. Anything I could be interested in, I could find information in the library’s collection. And that continues to be true of all public libraries,” she said.
As for the future, Lee expects more innovations in the way they serve the community and those who come through their doors.
“Over the past four years, we have been able to expand Wi-Fi access even when the library is closed. If someone’s internet isn’t reliable at home, for example, they can come to the library’s parking lot or use our outdoor tables to connect to free Wi-Fi any time. We also have a myriad of other online resources to access eBooks, e-audiobooks, investment and genealogical research. We even have Chilton’s — the car repair database. All are easily accessible from home with your library card. We are continuously adapting to Enfield’s needs — finding resources or developing programs to suit people’s interests,” she said.
In addition to the Central Library, a branch is also open at 159 Pearl St.
For more information, visit enfieldpubliclibrary.org or call the Central Library at 860-763-7510 or the Pearl Street Library at 860-253-6433.
