Librarian’s Note, May 2016

We have free passes available for VINS in Quechee, the American Precision Museum in Windsor, the Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, and the Vermont History Museum, with branches in Montpelier and Barre; and we have reduced-price passes for Echo Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington.

HeritageQuest is a database providing patrons with research materials for tracing family history and American culture. Search in City Directories, Slave Schedules, U.S. Indian Census Rolls, Mortality Schedules, Agricultural and Industrial Schedules, the Veterans Schedule, U.S. Federal Census images, family and local histories, the Revolutionary War Era Pension & Bounty-land Warrant Application Files, or the Freedman’s Bank. Library patrons can access this database for free from anywhere there’s an Internet connection. Call, e-mail, or come by the library to obtain the login information.

Because of a lack of storage space, Reading Public Library can no longer accept donations of books. You can try one of the neighboring libraries or Violet’s Book Exchange in Claremont. If the books are in poor condition, you can put them in the recycling bin with the newspapers at the dump.

Our library is a provider of free and continuous public access to a fiber internet connection via 24/7 Wi-Fi. Some of our patrons depend on our service because they have no broadband Internet at home, or have unreliable or inadequate broadband. As their needs change, our capacity will increase to meet those needs.

Libraries give curious minds the opportunity to sample outside their comfort zones. A good library will feature a collection of materials that will surprise and delight patrons—making available to them ideas they might otherwise have missed.