Berkshire Athenaeum Offers Expanded Services for Bookworms

The circulation and reference desk have been pushed into the lobby of the Wendell Avenue entrance.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Though municipal buildings are currently closed because of the spike in COVID-19 cases, residents can still find solace in materials from their local library.

The Berkshire Athenaeum is offering a slate of newly adjusted library services including a personalized reading service called "Picked4You," children's book bundles, and an increased collection of wifi hotspots available for loan.

"Things are rolling and we're seeing a lot of interest, a lot of folks who are grateful that we're there for them," Reference Services Supervisor Madeline Kelly said.

After Mayor Linda Tyer made the decision to close municipal buildings following the second surge of infections, the Berkshire Athenaeum wanted to continue to offer services that the public values the most.

At the library's Wendell Avenue entrance, folks are able to access a pulled back lobby with a circulation and reference desk. This service point offers everything from library renewal to a quick reference interview so that associates can pick out a selection of specifically tailored books for a reader.

Kelly said this is the nearest thing the library has to its usual service and it is safe and keeps people reading.

The Berkshire Athenaeum is also assisting those who have technology needs such as printing. Patrons who need printouts can email their documents directly to the library's print service at pittsfield8@printspots.com. Library staff will then release the prints that cost 10 cents a page, payable at pickup. A self-serve photocopier is available in the Wendell Ave lobby during operating hours for black ink copies also at 10 cents per page.

"We are very much aware here and have been for a number of years that folks don't necessarily own printers anymore, or the printer dies, or they can't afford to put toner cartridges in and so forth," Kelly said. "So we've had for a long time the service that people can email something to us and release it here, but what we have found during this period of closure is that people are particularly grateful if we will release it and have it for them to pick up. So that is just a continuation of something we had even when the building was open."

Kelly said the library has tried to respond to the fact that people like to come in and browse the selections without necessarily knowing what they want. Picked4You was created because of that. Patrons describe their interest or favorite authors and library staff select materials from the adult, young adult, or juvenile collections. This service can be accessed through the Picked4You form on the library's website or by emailing the Reference Department.

Book bundles are offered through the Children's Library and are an easy, fast, and safe way for parents to get weekly reading materials for their children. Each bundle contains seven books centered on a theme such as friendships, sharks, dinosaurs, mermaids, and more. Additionally, there are recorded storytimes twice a month and make-at-home craft kits are available for pickup.  

Pittsfield Celebrates Robert 'Bob' Presutti on Arbor Day

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:33PM / Friday, April 26, 2024

Bob Presutti, right, is presented the Hebert Award in 2017 for his volunteer efforts at Springside Park. He died in 2023 at age 88.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A tree has been planted next to the Berkshire Athenaeum in honor of local "giant" Robert Presutti.

Officials celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by installing a commemorative plaque next to the American elm sapling. This is a tree that James McGrath, the city's park program manager, said Presutti would have been particularly proud of.

"Today is a day where we yes, celebrate trees, but today is also a day where here in the city we intentionally try to acknowledge the good work of folks in our community who spend their time and their efforts and their talents to make Pittsfield a more beautiful place," he said to a crowd of about 20 people.

"Today we are honoring a longtime community volunteer named Bob Presutti. I'm sure a lot of you here know Bob and know his contributions to the city, not only when it comes to trees and parks but also to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program."

The longtime volunteer passed away last year at the age of 88. He contributed more than 10,600 hours to RSVP and had great impacts on the Parks Department over the years from sharing his knowledge and talents to ensuring that workers were safe when working on trees.

"This morning I went through my emails to see how many emails Bob Presutti sent me since the year 2001 when I started with the city. Bob Presutti sent me 14,000 emails and nearly every single one of those was about trees," McGrath said, prompting laughter and smiles from attendees.

One thread struck him as particularly important because it showed Presutti's empathy when it comes to the safety of city workers while caring for trees.

"There were multiple emails from Bob about the need to get the Parks Department maintenance guys into a program learning about chainsaw safety and learning about ladder safety. He was really into making certain that our city workers were well cared for and had all of the instruction that they needed and in fact, he even offered his own time and services after he became certified to teach our city workers," McGrath said.