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| SPOTLIGHT
ON THE LIBRARY |
| APRIL
2005
It’s time for spring cleaning. An assortment of items has
accumulated in the attic over the past seventy years. The attic spans
the main reading and reference sections and the north wing of the
library. There is a catwalk across the suspended ceiling from which a
person can access the cupola and various electrical and boiler lines. A
ladder and a hatch lead to the roof. As an energy conservation measure
in the late 1970s, workers blew insulation into the attic and wrapped
the cupola.
Relative to the building, the attic storage space is small. One
treasure in the attic is the Charles Munson bird egg collection. Mr.
Munson collected over 2,300 eggs from 389 different birds over forty
years. After his death in 1929, his daughter, Myrtle Munson Ciccarelli,
donated the collection to the library. The eggs are a favorite with the
children touring the library.
The fossilized sponges stored in the attic are now labeled and boxed
in the Local History Room. The Avery Mosher collection of Indian
artifacts is on permanent display near the Large Print Room. Additional
projectile points are mounted in wooden cases, which are stored in the
attic. |
This
"Spotlight on the Library" article was written by Mary Jacobs,
the David A. Howe Public Library director. Articles are written and published monthly in the
Wellsville Daily Reporter.
Click on a
date below to read a recent article.
Find a
complete list of articles on the Search the Library
page.
Click here to
read the Wellsville Daily
Reporter online
|
| The original library
blueprints designated a third floor room for a museum. A local museum
became a reality with the formation of The Thelma Rogers Genealogical
and Historical Society located on Dyke Street. Recently, the Library
Board gave permission for Curator Shirley Engle to examine local history
items stored in the library’s attic. The following items are now on
permanent loan to The Historical Society: primitive baby cradle,
primitive wood bootjack, child-sized wood shoe, oil lamp, two tin
six-hole candle molds, pierced tin and wood foot warmer, tin candle
holder, tin mailbox, carding combs for wool, flax hetchel, scrapbook of
local items in the early 1900s, box of photos taken by local
photographers and various pieces of clothing.
It is a mystery why certain things were stored in the attic. There
was a box of old food, including sugar cubes and tea bags, from the
staff room. We discarded items such as a skin with feathers. We removed
other unknown, dusty and musty organic items.
During the 1950s, people donated numerous sports trophies to the
library. We found a box of Little League trophies inscribed with names
of the winning teams. The baseball trophies are currently on display
near the main circulation desk. If you are interested in one of the
trophies, the library will take your request. If there is more than one
request, we will have a drawing. |
Click
here to check the calendar for all 2005 tour dates |
|
It was an interesting experience sorting through seventy years of
storage. The next library tour, which includes the attic, is scheduled
for Monday, May 16 at 7:00 p.m. |
This page was last updated
January 09, 2006. |
