Tea Parties Are the Library’s Newest Twist
Ralph Stanley, Southwest Harbor native and acclaimed builder of
wooden boats, has been a Southwest Harbor Library trustee for
more than 20 years. |
Tea, anyone? Tea parties for the public once a month are the newest
addition to all that takes place at the Southwest Harbor Library.
The brainstorm of the Friends of the Library, the first of them took
place last week, on an unusually warm day. Future tea parties will
take place on the third Thursday of each month, from
1 to 3 p.m.
“Today was more like a day outdoors with ice-tea,” said Pat Sweeney,
secretary of the Friends group. “When the weather gets more tea-like
for indoors, I am sure we will have people enjoying tea by our
fireplace.”
The first one drew about 25 library-goers. They met in the grand
reading room that was the original, entire library when it was built
100 years ago.
More recent additions have extended the library back into the
parking lot, across from the fire department and police station.
The library’s annual circulation is around 60,000 books—for a town
of not even 2,000 residents.
“It’s a very big library for a small town,” said Librarian Candy
Emlen.
“The summertime is unbelievable, with the Internet computers all
busy and the line of people waiting. Our circulation skyrockets and
foot traffic is extreme. We are just now beginning to mellow.”
During the school year, the library brims with children. The
library’s location just across from Pemetic
Elementary School
ensures that plenty of classes troop through.
The library has older users, too, such as 73-year-old Ralph Stanley,
a Southwest
Harbor native and acclaimed builder of wooden boats.
“He comes to the meetings and has opinions,” Emlen said. “He is a
valuable trustee. We enjoy him not only for his history of the area,
but for his love and support of the library.”
He also takes his place among the line-up of speakers who give talks
through the year. Already set for early summer next year is
Stanley’s account of shipwrecks
of vessels off Mount Desert Island.
Stanley visited the library last Thursday, but passed on the tea
party. Not exactly his style.
But it was their style for many of the town’s ladies, delighted with
the new social opportunity.
“One of our patrons was sitting and talking with a friend on our
bench by the circulation desk,” Emlen said of the tea party’s start.
“Several friends dropped by her and one of them said, ‘Wouldn’t it
be nice to have a cup of tea?’”
We all thought that maybe we should have a tea party. The purpose is
to just have people drop in, with no agenda, no lecture, no program.
“Just a way for friends to get together.”
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