History of Wayland Free Public Library

Title from item.

Louisa Campbell, Maria Lowell, and Louise Brown were library directors. Effort to gain support for an addition to the library, almost doubling the size of the library, including creating a space for a children's room, is rejected at Town Meeting in 1974.

George Lewis spoke on Wayland barns. Regular updates on the status of the growing Millennium Fund. People counter added to track numbers of people coming to the library daily. Blood pressure clinic in the Raytheon Room. Year 2000 marked 100th anniversary of the library building. Cuts in state aid 2001 threatened. Library acquires depository of 30 Chinese books and videos. [Louise Brown wanted to gauge interest in the collection for possibly establishing a Chinese collection]. An effort was made in 2002 to catalog many items in the Local History collection locked in the Cage in the balcony.

Library circulates art prints. Judy Schurgin offers an art lecture series. Library circulates over 190 periodicals. Fifteenth annual Shakespeare festival with Helen Whall. Louise Brown joins MLS Hall of Fame (April 1 2004 article). Wireless Internet Access is provided at library for first time (May 26 2005) Library adds books on CD and large print books to collection. Library expansion study mentioned (2004). Library faces possible budget cuts unless there is an override (2005). Two Harry Potter movies are shown at the library (July 2005). Minuteman Library Network temporarily suspended interlibrary loan of audiovisual materials due to overwhelming requests which overloaded the delivery system. Sally Cartwright from the Wayland Library Feasibility Study Committee provided an article in the Town Crier about the committee's findings and recommendations concerning a library expansion. (Sept 2025). Phone booth remains in the library's parking lot. It is still getting use.

Library opened during blizzard of 1978, staffed by librarians who could walk or snowshoe to the library. 1 percent budget cut resulted in a reduction in service hours in 1978. Ann Flowers attends an international seminar for children's literature at Framingham State. 1978 elevator installed. Library requested $150,000 reserve fund per year for a new library addition. Free Museum passes for MFA and Decordova. 11 Cross country skiing maps by Evelyn Wolfson published. First "First Night" in Wayland sponsored by Sudbury Art Association. Ann Flowers creates Get Well Kits for kids. Know your town booklet published by League of Women Voters in 1979. Ann Flowers on Channel 4 TV wearing a Chinese robe and headdress while reading "The Magic Bell" at outdoor festival of Chinese culture called "The Forbidden City". Town Crier Special Newcomers Edition July 26, 1979. Brief History of Wayland in the newspaper. 1979. Sex, death, and divorce are topics addressed in children's books which were becoming more adult" (October 1979.) Circulation down. Louise Brown wonders if women returning to work part of reason.

Overdue fines increased to 5 cents per day. Fine free day is at the end of December. Wayland-Sudbury First Night is celebrated. Celebration in honor of reprint series edited by children's librarian Ann Flowers, 1980. 1980 was Wayland's 200th birthday, which included a dance at the junior high school, a large cake created with baked contributions from many organizations in town, Tribute planned for 100th anniversary of abolitionist Lydia Maria Child's death.

July, 1983. Trustees propose adding two story wing to the library for $700,000 or more. The addition would go on the north side of the library and would add 6,000 square feet to the existing 6,800 square feet. Creation of the Minuteman Library Network is proposed in 1983 in order to increase access to 2 million titles. The network would be for 14 libraries, including Wayland. 5 Millionth book was checked out in Spring 1984, determined after reviewing all existing records of circulation since 1900. Library names Architect A. Anthony Tappe and Associates t0 draw plans for $1 million expansion and renovation. Movie The Rainmaker starring Burt Lancaster is one of 9 movies shown at the library for summer 1984. Library seeks Proposition 2 1/2 override on Spring 1985 election to finance 1.25 million addition. Names of residents supporting override are listed in local paper as an advertisement. Picture of jubilant supporters of override after Town Meeting vote to support $1.25 million for addition. High demand for recently published property evaluations (January 1985.) Town seeks to buy MBTA land next to library to expand available parking for library.

Construction for library addition moves forward. There are now twenty Minuteman Libraries (1986). Library moves to Town Hearing Room in summer, 1986 during construction. Children's librarian Ann Flowers holds weekly summer program at Grout Heard House called "Touching the Past", 1986. New computerized library system in Hearing Room (Nov 1986). Eighteen compact discs with classical music added to the library, only one to a customer. Photo of structural steel for the addition January 1987. Trustees hold jazz concert to benefit library furniture fund. Flooding due to failure of a temperature gauge destroyed books and delayed opening after construction completed. Celebration of library addition and renovations dedicated on June 12, 1988. Ann Flowers wallpapers bathroom with children's book posters.

Library is awarded Library Services and Construction Act funds to pay off debt from library addition., Cochituate Branch Library closed in the same month as Children's librarian Ann Flowers retired in June 1989 after 23 years. Three albums of photographs called Month in the Life of Wayland in 1988 are added to the collection as a sort of time capsule. Ann Pratt becomes children's librarian in 1989. Trustees plead for a Proposition 2 1/2 override in September 1989. CDs are bought for young adult collection. Library recruits volunteer for the new English as a Second Language program. Library hosts program on Photographs of Alfred Wayland Cutting for the 150th anniversary of photography. Artist exhibits in Raytheon Room Library hosts program called Night of a Thousand Stars when a dozen "local celebrities" read aloud from their favorite works. A May 1990 post describes Louise Brown applied for grant to train 25 tutors of English. Wayland Conservation Committee distributes maps at the library. In 1990, library subscribes to about 150 magazines. Sema Faigen takes charge of English as a Second Language program. A tree is donated to the library to honor Margot Block who supported the Conservation Commission over the years.

Minuteman Library Network moves to new computer system, DRA (Data Research Equipment.) The Friends of the Library fund buying videocassettes (March 1991) TAB article about English Language Learning program. Wayland is one of 77 libraries who received a fax machine from Eastern Massachusetts Regional Library System. Sixteen young authors were honored at the ninth annual Young Author's Party in the Children's Room ( December 1991). Trustees look to increase revenue, including increasing fines, because Town's Finance Committee asked departments to voluntarily reduce their budgets. The library closed for four days due to Hurricane Bob, Former Children's librarian Ann Flowers receives the Emerson Greenway Distinguished Service Award for Librarianship. An Exhibit of photographer Wallace Folsom illustrates the community in the 1920s and 1930s, Accounts of residents living in Wayland during Hurricane of 38 recorded on tape by Dena Hardymon, library announces first dial up catalog to access the catalog available at the library for Minuteman Library Network's 24 libraries (March 26, 1992). Library and Historical Society microfilm The Village Bugle and The Cochituate Jeep which circulated during WWII and the Wayland Chronicle published in 1936-1938. Tab announces 187 Young Authors have been published over the last decade, (June 16, 1992) started by Sandy Bellows. Articles about library budget cuts across the state, (Boston Globe June 21, 1992.) Christine Behr becomes children's librarian. Voter registration takes place at the library. Aids Awareness week observed.

Exhibit by Sudbury Valley Trustees celebrating 40 years of land conservation. Photographs of Exhibitors for 1994: Irving Erlichman, Karl Geiger, Carl Winkel, Jack Wilson. and Rolf McVicker. Computer generated receipts (July 1994). Term "Information Superhighway" used. Mentions endowment fund established in 1992 to start a drive for "steady stream of income". Allen Barker appears at benefit piano concert. Library card catalog closed December 1994. MLN converted from an analog system to a digital network. Annual Shakespeare Festival by Holy Cross Professor Helen Whall. Library receives $5,000 grant for Books on Tape. Nineteen month waiting list for artists to display their work in Raytheon Room for two months.

One computer for the public has the internet using Netscape. with graphics. Other computers provide text-only based version of the internet. No downloading or email on public computers. Millennium Endowment fund established in 1999. Night of the Stars (where local dignitaries read from books that influenced them) raises funds for the Millennium Endowment Fund. Article about noontime book group going for 33 years (Nov 18, 1999 Town Crier ). Y2K materials available for awareness and readiness