MIDDLETOWN - LIBRARY SERVICE CENTER

A Brief History of the Middletown Library Service Center

Description: Find out the history of the Middletown Library Service Center which just celebrated its 50th birthday.

 

Author: Mary Engels

Publisher: Connecticut State Library

Date Posted: Nov 16, 2005

 

The Middletown Library Service Center (MLSC) came into being 8 minutes before the 1955 legislature adjourned when a bill introduced in the House by Representative Helen Norton of Durham and in the Senate by Senator Edward S. Opalacz of Middletown was passed as a result of nearly a decade of lobbying by the Connecticut Library Association. The Governor signed the measure in July 1955 and the Bureau of Library Services (State Dept. of Education) at once set about finding a location and securing staff. The General Assembly also voted an appropriation of $80,000 for a two-year pilot program.

 

On October 1, when funds became available, the Staddle Hill School in Middletown was leased from the Middletown School Board. By then furniture had been ordered, and John W. Parker, Public Library Specialist and Eleanor A. Ferguson, Director had been hired. Mary Chiles from the Hartford office of the Bureau was transferred to Middletown and Mary Kavanagh completed the staff as cataloger.

 

November 20, 1955 was set for the official opening and attended by over 200 librarians and friends of libraries. Dorothy S. Hutton, Chairman of the State Board of Education, presided over the ceremony. According to Mrs. Hutton "Libraries in the service area will share on a voluntary basis a common pool of eventually over 12,000 or more good books selected on the basis of requests from the participating schools and libraries; readily available professional consultant services in both children's and adult activities; and training workshops for librarians, library trustees, teachers and school officials as requested. This is the program which, as a pilot project, will be tested during the next two years as a solution to Connecticut's urgent library needs. Success of this pilot project can mean that similar programs of intensified supplementary service may be made available to all communities in Connecticut."

 

The aim of the pilot program was fourfold. It sought to demonstrate that:

--Library service to small towns can be as adequate as that enjoyed by larger towns

--No person in a service area needs to be beyond reach of library service adequate for their needs

--Such a program of library service could be carried out at a cost reasonable to the taxpayer and to the state

--It would not replace or infringe upon the autonomy of any libraries in the area but be a workable solution to their problem of giving better service to their communities

 

Delivery of materials to 26 public libraries began on January 18,1956 with each library receiving 40 titles evenly divided between adult and juvenile. Deliveries to public schools began on February 29, 1956 with 25 titles taken to each of 38 schools. At that time MLSC's service area was Middlesex County plus Berlin, Rocky Hill, Marlborough, Glastonbury, Colchester and Salem. About 100,000 people lived within this service area. It was chosen for the first Center because there was already a strong tradition of library cooperation here, based on the existence of a swap group that began in the 1930's.

 

In addition to consultant services, three workshops were held that first year: book repair, children's books and weeding.

 

In October of 1957 the Service Center successfully completed its two-year demonstration period and became a permanent part of the Department of Education.

 

In 1961 the Service Center Advisory Board began exploring the possibility of moving to new quarters and in December of 1964 the Center moved into a new building at 786 South Main St., a building that was designed and built to be the Service Center and where MLSC still resides.

 

After moving to this current location book deliveries were discontinued and local library staff visited the Center to borrow bulk loans, attend workshops and meetings and take advantage of consultant advice. In 1965 the Service Center along with the rest of the Division of Library Development (DLD) moved from the State Department of Education to the State Library.

 

Gradually the use of the building changed as other state library services moved into the Center. In October of 1979 the Connecticar delivery service began operating from the Center and remained here until the summer of 2003 enabling Center materials not borrowed in bulk to be efficiently delivered to libraries.

 

During the 1970's as it fostered the professional development of library staff and services MLSC worked closely with the Cooperating Library Service Unit for this area providing workshops and consulting assistance. That cooperation, as part of DLD, with library organizations like the Connecticut Library Consortium and Connecticut Library Association continues through this day. Many projects and programs are done jointly among the organizations to the benefit of the library community.

 

The State Library's Film and Video Service was housed at the Center from 1981 until it's closing in 1991. Film and video expanded the formats that were offered to libraries beyond books, LP's, audiotapes, art prints, realia, sculpture and other materials that were considered cutting edge at that time. Once again the development of collections that may be costly (large print, unabridged audio, book props, Bi-Folkal kits) and in multiple formats (CD's, MP3 CD's, DVD's,) continues at the center in order to give local libraries the opportunity to expand their offerings to their customers at no cost to their town.

 

In 1996 the Connecticut Digital Library, now iConn moved its offices to the Center. Having this critical and very visible State Library service housed at MLSC has enhanced the Center's visibility and given the State Library both a virtual and physical presence in the library community.

 

A technology training facility opened in 1998 enhancing our continuing education offerings to the library community and bringing library staff into the Center from all types of libraries throughout the entire state with many different professional interests. The training center has expanded the awareness of the Service Center in the library community and brought our training capabilities into the 21st century.

 

Like the rest of the library community, technology has had a tremendous impact on Service Center operations. Automated circulation and catalog has enabled better resource sharing of the Center's materials. Our WebJunction presence makes information on our services as well as resources more readily accessible to library staff from their desktops.

 

Although technology and other enhancements have changed the look and size of our collections (now over 65,000 items) and our operations, the foundation upon which we were established in 1955 still guides us today. Our current goals are very similar to the aims set out for the Center in 1955:

-- To support the professional growth of library staff, trustees and Friends in an environment that offers consulting, networking, professional resources, and training.

-- To foster quality library service in Connecticut by providing professional development opportunities and resources.

-- To aid public libraries in ensuring that every resident of Connecticut has access to necessary library resources.

-- To provide necessary library materials to Connecticut's schools so that students have the resources they need to succeed.

-- To maximize local library funding through resource sharing.

These goals have helped make the Center what it is today and will continue to inspire Service Center in the future.

 

THE HISTORY IS USED WITH PERMISSION.

COPYRIGHT BY THE MIDDLETOWN LIBRARY SERVICE CENTER

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