DALTON, Mass. — Although the Crane Museum's building is no longer accessible to the general public, residents still have the opportunity to learn about papermaking and the organization's history. 

 

In the past year, the museum has organized more than 10 pop-up events, each designed to educate the community about the significance of papermaking and the Crane's role in this process, museum docent Dennis Croughwell said. 

 

The Dalton Public Library is next. On Wednesday, Jan. 29, between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., library visitors can drop in to learn how to make paper and watch a demonstration on how to identify counterfeit currency.

 

"It's making people aware of the paper-making process and Crane's participation in that in Berkshire County in particular," Croughwell said. 

 

Money is a tangible item that many people use every day but maybe are not aware that it is made in Dalton. The same goes for paper. It is everywhere but many don't know how it is made, Library Director Janet Forest said. 

 

"So, I think anytime we can offer a program that connects people with a process on how something's made that you use every day, I think is really helpful," she said. 

 

One of the things Forest was tasked with when hired in March was developing more community outreach programs. 

 

Libraries are about books, no matter the kind, but it is also so much more than that, Forest said. 

 

"We are [also] a third space. We're a place for people to gather and so anytime we can do something that might bring someone new into the library, and they look around, they see all the other things," she said. 

 

Someone may come into the library for an event and see other things they also offer like DVDs, video games, thermal cameras, a projector for movie screenings, a "Rent a Backpack" program, and more. 

 

"So, I think anytime you can give someone a reason to come into the library, they might find 10 more things or 10 more reasons to come into the library," Forest said. 

 

This event is mutually beneficial because it encourages more people to visit the library and provides patrons with a "great" program and helps the Crane Museum inform the community about the work it does and its history, she said. 

 

"They don't want to be forgotten, because I know there are people that have been to the museum, they used to be able to go to the museum, and that's not an option anymore," Forest said. 

 

"So, anytime we can provide an organization with a space to share what they're doing and what their mission is, I think is really a great opportunity for everyone." 

 

The Crane Museum closed in spring 2022 when Crane Currency, which produces banknotes, including for the United States, upgraded its security operations. 

 

The search for a permanent location was paused and the focus shifted to a pop-up model. More information on that here. 

 

The museum was located at 32 Pioneer St. in an ivy-covered stone structure dating from 1844 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the rag room for the first Crane paper mills and hosted exhibits on papermaking and the history of Crane & Co. and the Crane family, and had an activity area for learning how to make paper. 

 

But as Crane grew, so did its campus, and getting to the small museum of papermaking meant driving through the industrial operations.

 

The need to keep the materials secure means the adjusted security parameters are no longer allowing for visitors on the property.