About Us

Staff | Location | Mission Statement | How We Operate | Events | History | Tour

Piano recital by Shepaug senior Melanie Carreira. Photo by Charles Heyman.

Staff

Library & Museum:

• Jean Chapin, Executive Director
• Mary Boland, Support Services
• Pattie Stikeleather, Developmental Support
• Joan Hammond, Bookkeeper

Library:

• Kristine Dyson, Adult Services
• Becki O’Brien, Adult Services
• Susan Newbury, Adult Services
• Martie Smolka, Children's Services
• Linda Morse, Children's Services
• Gail Scribner, Children's Services
• Carley Davenport, Page
• Ashley Doerwald, Page

Museum:

• Stephen Bartkus, Curator
• Margaret Freeland, Curatorial Assistant

Location

The Gunn Memorial Library and Museum are located at the corner of Route 47 and Wykeham Road, just off Washington Green. See map and directions.

Mission Statement

The Gunn Memorial Library, Inc. is a non-profit corporation providing free public library services to Washington, Connecticut and the surrounding communities. It is dedicated to the promotion of literacy, education, and preservation of the Town's history and culture, via the Gunn Historical Museum.

How We Operate

The GML&M is run by a paid staff, with help from loyal volunteers. Its operations, fundraising and budget are overseen by a volunteer board of trustees. Operating income comes from individual donations, fundraising events, endowment interest income, and a town contribution. As with any non-profit organization, it seems we never have enough money to do everything we'd like: buy more books and tapes; buy more computers, software and CDs; pay the overworked staff better; clean the carpets, replace the roof or buy more chairs for our ever-increasing patrons.

Events

The library hosts a number of annual events, many of which are key fund-raisers. In addition, book discussions, special lectures, weekly storytimes and arts and crafts workshops are held throughout the year. Check out What's Up for information.

A view of pre-dinner cocktails at the library, where Luminaries, hosts and guests mingle.

• Library Luminaries. Save the Date: Another luminous evening will take place on May 12, 2007.
  A gala cocktail party at the library will be followed by a series of benefit dinner parties, featuring some of the county's cultural stars.

• The Washington Connecticut Antiques Show is held in early October, with over 20 dealers exhibiting superb antiques in the Town Hall. Admission proceeds benefit the library and museum.

• Our Annual Book Sale is held on Columbus Day Weekend. Hundreds and hundreds of donated books, including fiction, biography, children's, "specials," and a large selection of cooking, art, travel, sports, gardening, history, nature and photography, are snapped up by dealers and bibliophiles alike.

• The Holiday Sale, held each December, is a popular Junior Library happening. This sale gives children an opportunity to purchase holiday gifts for family members at very reasonable prices.

  We need your donations of small gift items, accessories, housewares or unused toiletries to make this a success. A great way to put aside items for the sale is to designate a box (in the attic or basement) and deposit those little gifts or items you receive throughout the year that you know you won't really use. For instance, you might set aside a box of soaps, a necktie that's out of favor, candles, a knickknack with no knack for your taste, a scarf that missed the mark, a redundant kitchen gadget -- you get the idea. Then just bring them to the Junior Library!

Our History at a Glance

1852		Washington Library Association is formed by 22 men; books are circulated via auction.
1855		Frederick W. Gunn elected president of the association.
1881		Gunn dies.
1887		Evolves into the Washington Reading Room & Circulating Library Association.
1891		Reading Room opens to the public.
1899		The Judea Historical Room is opened by the local DAR chapter in a nearby house.
1902		E.H. Van Ingen donates land and money toward building a permanent library.
1907		DAR votes to turn over collection to library, to be housed in the basement of the new library building.
1908		Gunn Memorial Library is opened and dedicated.
1965		June S. Willis bequeaths her house (built in 1781) to the library; museum collections move next door.
1967		Dorothy Richards sees to it that a Junior Library is opened in the vacated basement space of the library.
1990		Overcrowding becomes critical; Capital Campaign starts, geared to raise $2.5 million to greatly expand the library, renovate the museum, and increase the endowment.
1994		New 7,500 square foot addition to the library and museum renovation complete.
1998		Library becomes fully automated, with the addition of networked computers, membership in Bibliomation and computerized collection entries available online.
1999		Museum celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of its collection by the Judea Chapter of the DAR.
2001		The Library is awarded the Excellence in Public Library Service Award by the Connecticut Library Association and the Connecticut State Library, for the category of public libraries serving towns with a population of less than 25,000.
2002		Centennial of the incorporation of the Library.

Library Tour

We have a lovely building, originally built in 1908 and expanded in 1994.

• Upper Level: Wykeham Rooms, Connecticut Room, Stairwell Gallery
• Main Level: Adult Library & Staff Offices
• Lower Level: Junior Library

Upper Level (see upper floor diagram)

This level comprises the original main rooms of the 1908 library. It is rich with architectural detail typical of public buildings built at the turn of the last century. Quarter-sawn oak paneling, pilasters and dentil moldings define the rooms. An exquisite gilt-accented ceiling mural by H. Siddons Mowbray lights up the old lobby; a carved stone memorial chimney breast graces the reading room and a memorial stained glass window now gives view to the atrium and circulation desk below.

Wykeham Rooms

Thanks to major seed money given to the library when Wykeham Rise School closed, our Capital Campaign in the early 1990s got off to a strong start. The school's trustees felt that the library would be an ideal place for alumnae of the school to visit in Washington. And so, this area displays a variety of photographs of students and their activities at Wykeham Rise throughout the years.

Lectures, slide shows, and discussions that are co-sponsored by the library or museum take place in the meeting room. More intimate book discussions are usually held in the adjacent reading room.

Mowbray Mural

Mowbray Mural (see details)

The most prominent feature of the Wykeham Rooms is the beautiful Mowbray Mural on the ceiling in the lobby area between the meeting and reading rooms. Unveiled on July 4, 1914, the grand ceiling mural was donated by the muralist and painter, H. Siddons Mowbray, in memory of his wife. Mowbray's work also graces the Morgan Library, the University Club Library, and the Appellate Court House in New York City. More of Mowbray's work can be seen in St. John's Episcopal Church nearby.

The Gunn's vaulted ceiling is divided into in four panels that depict the Greek myth of Proserpine, daughter of Ceres, being abducted by Pluto. The four seasons are represented, along with end-panel quotations from Emerson.


Connecticut Room

The climate-controlled Connecticut Room contains local histories, genealogical information and historic photograph albums, as well as books by local authors. It offers published volumes and loose files of:
• Local history resources
• Family histories
• Town histories
• Church records
• General Connecticut subjects

Additional historical and genealogical resources are also available for on-site research at the Museum. Call 868-7756 to make an appointment.

Stairwell Gallery

In the stairwell between the main and upper levels, and in the mezzanine between the Wykeham and Connecticut Rooms, be sure to stop and check out the stairwell gallery. Featuring the work of local artists (which can usually be purchased), the gallery mounts a new show every six weeks. Past shows have exhibited the work of David Eugene Bell, Banjie Getsinger, Dennis Kyte, Zemma White, Hank Meirowitz and many others.

Main Level: Adult Library (see main floor diagram)

Circulation Desk

Upon entering the adult library, one cannot help but notice the Circulation Desk. It was built to last by local cabinetmaker and former "Gunnery Boy," Seth Price. An inspirational quote of Mr. Gunn's was inscribed in the center panel of the cherry desk by renowned carver, Brooke Roberts. It reads, "Feast richly on the noble and beautiful things contained in books."

Our collection includes an ever-expanding selection of books-on-tape, books-on-CD, videos, DVDs, music CDs, newspapers, magazines, large print books and eBooks, as well as standard volumes of mysteries, best-sellers, classic and short fiction, biographies and literature. Non-fiction ranges from the arts, gardening and cookbooks, to health, history, and reference.

Our attractive study and periodicals area was made possible by a major donation from George Darlow. Please enjoy this airy spot, lit by lots of windows looking out on the tree tops. A quiet reading nook behind the stacks, named in memory of Paul Bruning, looks down upon the Gunnery playing fields.


Computer Carrel

The library updates its computers, other hardware and software on a regular basis. This year proceeds from the Festival of Trees went towards the purchase of new computer items. The use of this equipment is ideally suited for patrons to do reference work and research. The adult library has available six PCs, two of which are computerized card catalog stations for public use. These computers have a number of online databases and reference programs installed on them, such as The New York Times, What Do I Read Next? and General Reference Center. (These can also be accessed through Catalog & Links.) An ongoing challenge for the library is the task of generating funds to constantly update and upgrade its computers as technology continues to advance at an increasingly rapid rate.

Our staff and volunteers are always busy at work. In the backroom (half of which used to be the entire Children's Library -- about a third of the size of the current one) materials are catalogued and processed, damaged items are repaired, and titles are entered into a computer database, making materials easier to find and use. Of course, staff will always find the time to answer any questions you may have, so don't hesitate to ask.

Lower Level: Junior Library (see lower floor diagram)

Junior Library

This recent addition to the library constitutes the greatest gain in space from previous quarters, with even more space down below for storage and future expansion. At last, there's room here for expanded collections, more A.V. materials, computers, pre-school books and games, study areas for older kids and rotating art shows. A separate program room has been reserved for various programs and story times. The junior library circulates an ever-increasing number of materials, and is a hub of excited activity and quiet wonder, as it continues to introduce new generations to the charms of reading.

The junior library offers an assortment of programs for young patrons. (See Kids for current details.) Weekly story times for preschoolers and early elementary school students are offered throughout the year, and book discussion groups meet monthly. Tuesday evening programs offer a variety of interesting and entertaining activities for the entire family. Saturday programs for children are offered in the Spring and Fall. These include craft programs, games, movie-time, Spring egg-decorating and Winter gingerbread house making workshops. The Holiday Sale, held each December, gives children a chance to buy gifts at very reasonable prices. Summertime is busy too, with our Summer Reading Program, which encourages reading for fun.

The computers in the junior library offer games, databases to assist with research, and access to the World Wide Web. (See our Internet usage policy.) The staff in the junior library is always ready to help a young reader find the right book, and lead the young researcher to the correct source.

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