Most people who come into the Bedford Free Public Library are thirsty for knowledge. But some are just …thirsty!
To meet that need, the Trustees at their December 14 meeting voted to approve the purchase of a bottle filling station which will be located next to the Circulation desk near the high school door. It will replace the existing fountain and will have a bubbler since not everyone will be carrying a refillable water bottle.
As the manufacturer describes it, the Halsey Taylor HydroBoost Bottle Filling Station delivers a clean quick water bottle fill and helps reduce dependency on disposable plastic bottles, which too often end up as landfill waste. The Bottle Filler features sanitary no-touch sensor activation with an automatic 20-second shut-off timer.
However, as with many equipment orders these days, there is a seven-week lead time on procuring the bottle filler. The Trustees specified in their vote that funds to purchase it should come either from state-aid money or from unrestricted gifts to the Library, not from the regular budget.
Other noteworthy Library news: You can now have documents notarized at the Library, which is important to know as this service is no longer provided at Town Hall. Teen Services Librarian Pam Aghababian is a notary. Please call ahead to make sure that she will be in the building before you come in with papers to be notarized.
Update on Covid: Library Director Richard Callaghan assured the Trustees that patrons are compliant with the mask mandate; even students, who sometimes forget, are quick to put on their masks when reminded by staff. He reported only one incident of opposition from two patrons and they complied with his request to leave the building.
Student Helpers: Assistant Director Noreen O’Gara told the Trustees about a cooperative venture with the LABBB Collaborative, in which LABBB students are helping in the Library with a variety of tasks such as cleaning shelves, shredding papers, checking for missing DVDs, and checking puzzle pieces in the Children’s Room. The joint program will continue until next July and is proving to be useful to staff.
Three Trustees are up for reelection this year: Elizabeth Hacala, Abby Hafer, and Alma Hart. Hacala is “still deciding,” Hafer probably will run again, and Hart may not run as her family is considering relocating out of state.
The Trustees’ next meeting is set for January 11, 2022.
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