Guest Column: North Adams Librarian Bids Farewell
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To the wonderful community of North Adams, to the faithful library users and most of all; everyone that I have touched while working for over a number of years at the North Adams Public Library in a wide range of capacities. It is with a heavy heart that I formally and publicly announce my resignation as your library director of the North Adams Public Library.
As I complete my final days, my time at the library has been exciting, challenging and very rewarding.
I would like to let this community know that you have been graced by the best professional staff (past and present) of any Berkshire county library that attends to everyone's needs that pass through the doors of this grand, historical home at the top of Main Street. The North Adams Public Library is the "Heart of the Community" and my main goal when selected as the 10th library director of this fine public institution was to make sure everyone who walked through the library doors be welcomed as you would if you came into my own home. As I look back over the years at the library, I made it my mission to always be available, my door was always open and no matter where my tasks took me, whether I was in the library or out in the community I was there for you.
I am proud to say that over the years, this community came together and fundraised substantial funds to create a newly renovated, state of the art, and the first (Green) library in the state of Massachusetts. I have been fortunate to build great partnerships and lasting friendships with staff, Friends of the Library, Library Trustees, library patrons, and this wonderful community.
We were able to create enjoyable programs such as Music at the Mansion, an artist at the library rotational art exhibit of local artists works, the continuation of memorial paver bricks which I hope will continue to line the library property and raise funds to support all of the programs that the library will hold, the veterans memorial walkway to the library flagpole, and over the past year the conversion to a new library circulation system which will continue to serve the library patrons into the future.
One of the projects that excited me the most was for the library to become part of the Digital Commonwealth which is a program through the Boston Public Library to scan historical documents to preserve the state's history. A lot of documents mean a whole lot to this community and with the scanning of the Hoosac Tunnel documents owned by the library everyone from around the world can see what we cherish from our history. Just completed was the digitalization of the Drury High School yearbooks dating back to 1896; all of these items and documents are now viewable through the library's website under "NEW! Digital Collections."
Working with many individuals, the Friends of the Library, and using funds donated to the library as gifts, we were able to improve a number of areas at the library. Being financially responsible with all funds available for my use, through the library's budget and from monetary donations as gifts to the library by faithful patrons, I was able to create new areas that that now hold shelving for the CDs and DVDs to its own room with shelving in recognition of previous director Marcia Gross. Additional shelving in memory of a faithful library patron, Barbara Lesage was installed in the main circulation area which will aid the visually impaired to enjoy the world of audio books for the coming years.
I will always be thankful to the mayors of the City of North Adams and the Trustees of the North Adams Public Library for giving me the opportunity of leading this great library. A personal thank you goes to Marcia Gross for pushing me to get my master's degree so that you could be confident that the library would be left in good hands.
It is my belief that continuing on with her vision, dedication, determination, my love for this community and love for this library that I have left the library better for the future and that this library will continue to be the Heart of the Community.
It has been an honor to be your director of the North Adams Public Library. Thank you to everyone that has made this journey so wonderful.
All my best, Rick Moon
Rick Moon ends his tenure at the library on Friday, Aug. 14, to become director of the library at McCann Technical School.
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