My earliest memory of the Waverly Public Library is placing a marker on a low shelf of children’s books and pulling out “Where the Wild Things Are.” Around me stacks of books, rows of tables, and hushed voices. The marvelous illustrations and strange story were captivating. I closed the cover and made a beeline for check-out. 

So many decades later, I still love the discovery of a wonderful new book in the stacks. But today, I marvel instead at how different the Library’s role is in our community. Yes, there are still books and tables, but for many visitors it’s now about attending a program; learning a skill; using a computer; enjoying a game; meeting a friend. And hushed voices? Today, not so much. Some days the noise of lively conversation and energetic play seems to bounce off the walls. 

That’s why I’m so excited about the opportunity to renew our Library space, and help it fill its changing role as a community center. We need more room for children to gather and learn, room for teens to call their own, and room for adults to find a quiet corner to read and relax. Most of all, we need room to continue the Library’s long tradition of providing that one, free public space that’s designed for absolutely everyone (even the wild things).

– Deanna McCue, Library Foundation President