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Picture
courtesy of
Pete
Vertefeuille not to
be used elsewhere without
permission.
Fletcher
Memorial Library is a library association maintained by a Board of
Directors and operated by the Library Director and a group of dedicated
volunteers. The library serves as the library for the Town of Hampton
and is part of the Connecticut State Library Inter-Library Loan system
(iCONN) . Fletcher Memorial uses the state library database to
maintain and update a complete record of the Library’s entire collection
of books, videotapes and disks, and audiotapes. The library loans out
books to other libraries through Inter-Library Loan, and takes requests
from Hampton residents to borrow materials from across the state.
The library is housed in a 19th century dwelling on Main Street donated
to the town by Austin Fletcher to be used in perpetuity as a public
library. The Library public rooms are on two floors of rooms with
classical moldings, wood floors and a curving staircase, and has a
disabled entrance and bathroom.
Fletcher Memorial is one of the few libraries still to maintain a card
catalog in an old wooden drawer file and to check out books with hand
written signatures. But, Fletcher has kept up with the times by
offering patrons use of two computers with Internet service and by
building up a collection of DVDs, CDs, and audio books.
FML volunteers welcome their friends and neighbors, and newcomers and
visitors, to a beautiful building that has been the home of the local
library for almost a hundred years. Even when the library is busy,
volunteers give every patron individual attention. We try to fill every
request, even if we have to get back to a patron later, and we set aside
the work of the circulation desk until everyone has been helped.
Serving as an FML volunteer keeps alive the beautiful tradition of the
local library that serves as a public “living room” for the residents of
a small town, a place where they can find knowledge, entertainment, and
the company of good friends.
Hampton Authors
Hampton is home to several authors. Their books can be found at the
library.
Alison Brown Davis
Alison and her husband, Wendell, are long time residents of Hampton and
carry an extensive history of the town in their heads.
"Hampton Remembers" - a series of interviews with some of Hampton's
oldest residents.
Janet C. and James O. Robertson
"All Our Yesterdays: A Century of Family Life in an American Small Town"
From Library Journal:
After buying an old house in Hampton, Connecticut, the Robertsons--James,
an academic, and Janet, an author--discovered that their home had been
owned by only one family since it was built in the 1790s. Through
papers, love letters, books, visiting cards, and travel records they
have been able to reconstruct the history of America through the lives
of the previous owners. A captivating narrative portrays this microcosm
of life; we are able to share in the shaping of American history as we
know it today. The unique aspect of this book is that history is told
through the lives of the people who lived through it. We share the
everyday lives of everyday people as they define and shape what is to
become an integral part of our national past. Recommended for all
libraries.
- Barbara Zaborowski, Cambria Cty. Lib., Johnstown, Pa.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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