Audrey Humphrey

To the editor,

My name is Audrey Humphrey. I grew up in the town of Gilmanton, and during my years cultivated fond memories of a certain areas in town. Riding my horse up Currier Hill Road in the fall and basking in the sun and foliage, running to Loon Lake and jumping in the cold, exhilarating water, and spending hours with my Mom and brother in the little library in the center of town. I remember reading favorites like “Make Way for Duckings,” and stealing to the outdoors for a brief swing on the swing set on the academy lawn — then back in for another tale.

Upon walking into the new library across from the Gilmanton School, to my right I saw a bundle of little children, sitting cross legged and looking up, intent on the story being read to them and so fittingly comfortable in the rainbow painted, bright and welcoming children’s nook. The beams of the library, both beautiful and strong, mixed with the warm plaster and smell of books, invited me to walk around and steal glimpses of the amenities — aisle after aisle of books, computers, some being used, and even a magazine rack and the daily newspapers from surrounding towns placed thoughtfully by comfortable-looking wingbacked chairs.

I feel so happy for the children next door who will, no doubt, be walking across the streets with their teachers to have story time, learn how to use Internet search engines, and have somewhere to go research for their term papers after school. As I looked around the library I saw so many different generations of people — old and young, coming together to enjoy what adds value, togetherness, and pride to the already gorgeous town of Gilmanton. I remember driving myself to the Concord library in high school to do research because our little library in town, lovely as it is, wasn’t open nor held the expanse of current media that the Concord library did for my big workload.

Interestingly enough, the founding members of the GYRL — the ones who painstakingly spent day after day, night after night, campaigning and dreaming up and working to make the library what it is today, have no young children enjoying story hour, nor walking across the street to use the library. Yet the joy I see on their faces while they watch the kids at story time is indistinct from those of the proud parents who feel the same way. Happy. Satisfied. Thrilled. Good.

I’m glad the little library is still there in the corners, but as fond as my memories are and will remain, I’m a little sad I missed out on story hour in the new one.

Audrey Humphrey

Chichester