The M. N. Spear Library in Shutesbury, a small town in western Massachusetts, has put together a darling fundraising plea that makes you want to donate even though you have nothing to do with them or their town or their state, but just love books and believe in the power of community around them. Personally, I think they should be rewarded for their efforts, so I’m sending a little something in and posting their video below.
I laughed out loud near the end, when the littlest one holding the important part of the web address kept hiding its details. The link is here. The library’s website is informative, even to the point of showing people the impact of a new library on their taxes, depending on their home’s value. When you consider all that a library does to support the community every day, it’s a small price to pay and a good example of what our governments should be doing with the money they collect. Librarians are among the most capable of working within budgets.
Caveat: If a town next door and easily accessible to Shutesbury already has a large, modern, fully accessorized library, then perhaps this group is overreaching. That happened in a small town I used to live in. I was fine with a new library being funded, but my husband was having apoplexy over the fact that the next town over had a great library we could use any time. Of course, we didn’t have small children or car issues or other considerations that might be brought to bear.
My impression is that Shutesbury really needs a better library and will manage the process well. What’s your impression?
