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Shirley Reva Vernick

These are a few of my favorite things: Amherst, MA, public libraries

November 9, 2020 Leave a Comment

by Shirley Reva Vernick

The Jones Library

Back when I was checking out towns in which to raise my children, one of the first local stops was always the public library. The Jones Library in Amherst, MA clinched it for me. Nestled in a stately stone building right off the main street, the library bustled with patrons of all ages that day—people reading, learning, enjoying group activities, installing exhibits, and generally creating an energized atmosphere of community. My family moved to town within a few months of that visit.

Originally housed in a local hotel, the 102-year-old Amherst library system now includes the main Jones branch and two satellites to serve the town’s 40,000 residents. Through the years, the library has loaned millions of books and digital media; hosted thousands of meetings, book talks and musical events; and continually applied new technology to the service of patrons. Need to borrow a ukulele, an air quality monitor, a museum pass, or a wireless hotspot? Incredibly, it’s just a library card away.

Literal—and literary—riches

Linda Wentworth, head of adult collections, says she has her dream job at the Jones. “I get to work with a community that’s insane about reading, and I have the privilege of managing a 300,000-item collection, some of it in multiple foreign languages.”

The Jones is now teaming up with another library in town, the national Yiddish Book Center, to (remotely) celebrate Coming to America. With the financial and intellectual support of the Yiddish Book Center, the Jones has arranged a reading group to discuss three books of Yiddish literature in translation, plus a fourth book related to one of Amherst’s larger immigrant communities: the Chinese. 

The discussion series, facilitated by Wentworth, will use these books to explore the ways in which immigrants change our country, and the ways in which our country changes those who immigrate here. Through these discussions, participants will explore the range of immigrant experiences and how these experiences are portrayed in literature. 

Another project on the drawing board is an ongoing book concierge service. Patrons will be invited to specify what kinds of books they like, and the staff will put two relevant selections on hold for them each month. Now, that’s my kind of book-of-the-month club!

Start ’em young

The library’s youth services have enjoyed increased attendance over the last five years, thanks to a trifecta of new children’s programs, the creation of a young-adult librarian position, and a focus on inclusivity.

A captivated audience

“Public libraries used to expect teens to act like adults and use the adult spaces,” notes library director Sharon Sharry. “Now that the Jones has given teens a dedicated space, their own programming, and a specialized librarian, we’ve become a cool place for YAs to hang out.”

The children’s room is continuously finding ways to embrace diversity. For instance, the library used to host an annual American Girl doll party, where girls could bring their American Girl dolls and participate in related activities. “But American Girl dolls are expensive,” says Mia Cabana, youth services director, “and are traditionally only for girls. So now we do a teddy bear/doll tea party, where both boys and girls are welcome, and the toy you bring doesn’t need to be fancy.”

Some children have adopted this party as a way to explore their sexual identity. Whether it’s a boy bringing a doll or a girl dressing up in a bowtie, all are welcome.

Something special

Many times over the years, I’ve lost myself in the library’s special collections. What a treasure—especially, in my opinion, the manuscript collections of local icons Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. I was so delighted to find a handwritten rough draft of Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” I was afraid I’d stare the ink right off the page. I’m also partial to the Amherst authors collection, which showcases books and articles written by Amherst residents from 1730 to today. You can find Noah Webster’s lexicographical studies, Robert Francis’s poetry, Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth (my personal childhood favorite), and much more.

“The special collections allow people to bridge Amherst’s past to its present,” says Cyndi Harbeson, head of special collections. “Whether I’m sharing famous historical manuscripts or tracking the provenance of local buildings, I love working with school children, high school and college students, genealogists, international scholars, and general Amherst residents.”

Harbeson points out that the collections also highlight non-celebrity residents, including “regular” people’s historic photos, scrapbooks, store records, maps and legal deeds. “We serve as a repository for local Cambodian refugees’ records too,” she adds. “My hope is to expand this initiative and make the special collections more representative of our community.”

When we’re apart

Quarantine, unfortunately, has closed the buildings. Nevertheless, the library services persist. The award-winning ESL and citizenship programs have thrived remotely. Dungeons & Dragons tournaments, wee sing-alongs, bilingual story times, tech support for personal computers—all these are thriving virtually, as are author interviews, art instruction, and music lessons.

In addition to keeping its digital materials and research tools available, the Jones has developed an effective protocol for socially distanced book borrowing. The main branch is offering home delivery, as well as weather-dependent outdoor pickup. Meanwhile, the South Amherst branch has taken a page from the “wine windows” that dotted Florence, Italy, during the 17th-century bubonic plague scourge. Wine merchants during that time built tiny windows through which they could pass wine flasks, thus avoiding direct contact with customers. In just this way, the South Amherst branch is passing bagged books to patrons.

Love ya, tomorrow

In 2021, the Jones is hoping to begin a significant building renovation, updating existing structures and adding new space. The library has already been offered a state grant to help support the renovation. Now the staff is awaiting a town council vote on whether to underwrite the balance. “I’m very optimistic,” says Sharry.

The library also plans to rev up its nascent anti-racism movement. “We want every person who crosses our threshold to feel at home,” Sharry says. Indeed, one highly visible example of this initiative greets patrons as soon as they walk through the Jones’ front door. The large painting in the entryway titled “English Nobleman” (often mistaken for Lord Jeffrey Amherst, the man purported to have sent smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans in the 18th century) has been replaced with a landscape.

Jorge Luis Borges imagined paradise as a kind of library. It seems to me that the Jones is, if not a literal paradise, then certainly a warm and welcoming place for exploration and self-expansion. I can’t wait to be able to pop back in for a browse, and I’m grateful for the staff’s creative and technical expertise that keeps me connected in the meantime.

Shirley Reva Vernick is the author of The Blood Lie, Remembering Dippy, and The Black Butterfly. Her work has garnered innumerable awards and recognition, some of which include: the American Library Association Best Fiction Books for Young Readers List, Simon Wiesenthal Once Upon A World Book Award, Dolly Gray Literature Award from the Council for Exceptional Children, Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction. Fitzroy Books is proud to publish Ripped Away in 2022.

Filed Under: Book Bound Tagged With: BookBound, Shirley Reva Vernick, The Jones Library

Bookbound: Amherst Books

August 26, 2020 Leave a Comment

A literary powerhouse in Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley

by Shirley Reva Vernick

What better place to locate a bookstore—one with a sprawling poetry section—than just up the street from Emily Dickinson’s house and around the corner from Robert Frost’s home? Amherst Books proprietors Shannon Ramsey and Nat Herold knew what they were doing when they chose Amherst, MA for their indie bookstore in 2003. And they’ve been delighting customers ever since with their diverse collection (including small press offerings), outstanding literary events, and welcoming atmosphere.

Amherst Books and I arrived in town just months apart in the early 2000s. Even after all these years, I still get a special joy when I walk inside, like I’m coming home. The literature wall with the rolling ladder, the spacious children’s corner, the comfortable armchairs, and the warm lighting all combine to create a timeless, made-for-bibliophiles quality. As one Yelp reviewer wrote, “Pitch me a tent, and I’ll just live here.”

Discussing the magic of bookstores with me, Nat quotes French philosopher Roland Barthes, who said, “Every book chooses its reader.” Nat adds, “I like to say we’re midwives in that process.”

And what well-stocked shelves these midwives keep! The store carries new and used books from local, national and international authors, including no fewer than 45 books by or about Emily Dickinson alone. With particular strengths in philosophy and poetry, the collection also includes general and science fiction, children’s literature, and books about cooking, history, gender studies, women’s studies, black studies, the sciences, essays and more.

In addition, Amherst Books hosts around 170 literary events yearly (when the country isn’t in quarantine). Luminaries like Min Jin Lee, Jericho Brown, James Tate, and Norton Juster have given talks or done readings here. So have regular-Joe local authors like yours truly. As a writer, I believe that a book’s story isn’t complete until it’s read and, ideally, discussed. Platforms that bring authors and readers together in one room elevate this co-creation to new levels. I’m grateful to Amherst Books for hosting the launch of all my books to date. 

Booksellers’ origin stories

Nat grew up in a house of books and readers. “We were so bad about returning all the library books we borrowed,” he remembers, “that the Washington, D.C. public library would send a truck around once a year or so to take back their books. They never cut off our borrowing, however.”

Books were also a way for Nat to communicate with his father, who was an alcoholic. “Often the only way to spend time with him was to talk about books,” Nat recalls. “Recommending new books to each other was how we bonded.”

Shannon too took refuge in reading as a youngster. “Books carried me through a lot of lonely times,” she remembers.  “So, when I was looking at colleges and saw UMass’s 26-floor DuBois Library, I knew I was going to go to school in Amherst! Once there, I got a job at the library, which then opened doors for me at Amherst Books.”

Bookselling was a natural fit for Nat because it allowed him to continue surrounding himself with books and connecting with people through book recommendations. “In other sorts of retail, you don’t learn anything meaningful about the person who’s buying, say, tissues,” he notes. “But a person reveals a lot about themselves by the books they choose.”

Shannon is on the same page (pun intended). “What I love most about bookselling,” she says, “is the idea that reading, which helped me when I was lonely, could also be the thing that connects me to others.”

Lean times

Thriving as an indie bookstore is never a given in these times of fierce competition and consumer focus on the digital. Nat attributes Amherst Books’ success to strong customer service, a uniquely curated book selection, and a robust reading and book launch roster.

Shannon ascribes their progress to two components. “First and foremost, we have stayed true to our core, book-loving selves,” she says. “We constantly remember what brought us to reading and then do our best to translate that to our community.” Secondly, she and Nat know their community well. “This allows us to reflect the community back to itself by way of a carefully chosen collection.”

To supplement their revenue, Amherst Books now carries certain non-book items, including literary tote bags, postcards, and book-themed T-shirts. “We’re giving people an alternative to online shopping,” says Shannon. “An alternative that allows direct interaction with products and the chance to socialize with staff and other visitors.”

Going local

Shannon and Nat are personally committed to a vision of sustainability that promotes growing roots and being part of the local community. How lucky for readers and authors alike that this shared value produced Amherst Books.

Shirley Reva Vernick is the author of The Blood Lie, Remembering Dippy, and The Black Butterfly. Her work has garnered innumerable awards and recognition, some of which include: the American Library Association Best Fiction Books for Young Readers List, Simon Wiesenthal Once Upon A World Book Award, Dolly Gray Literature Award from the Council for Exceptional Children, Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction. Fitzroy Books is proud to publish Ripped Away in 2022.

Filed Under: Book Bound Tagged With: Amherst Books, BookBound, Shirley Reva Vernick

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