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More Library Volunteers Needed Bridgeport Hall

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

If you want a taste of what life was like on the factory room floor in

nineteenth century New England, take a drive over to Fairfield Hills'

Bridgeport Hall (where the Labor Day weekend book sale was held) and join the

party!

It's an assembly line scene that seems oddly suited to that spacious 1930s

institutional dining hall with its high ceilings and tall windows.

A rotary fan blows fresh air across the huge room. You might think it had been

strategically placed to keep the workers cool, comfortable and uncomplaining.

One important difference from the old time industrial scene, though, is that

this labor of love has been undertaken most willingly. The volunteer work

force is made up of Newtown and Sandy Hook residents who are supporting their

library in its time of need.

"We're cleaning and repacking all these books," said Cyrenius H. Booth

Children's Librarian Alana Meloni as she pointed toward an adjacent cafeteria

filled with hundreds of book boxes stored on palettes, awaiting attention.

Not only have the books collected a great deal of dust, even while stored

inside the boxes, some mold has been found, as well. The dust and mold must be

removed before they can be put back on the shelves at the newly remodeled

Booth Library on Main Street.

The library books have been in storage at Fairfield Hills since August 1996,

during the yearlong time that the library addition and renovation project has

been underway.

Whistling While They Work

"Aren't they doing a great job!" Mrs Meloni remarked with satisfaction as she

surveyed the scene, ready to assist and keep the assembly line moving

efficiently.

She was right. Monday morning's crew wasn't missing a beat... or a book... as

they bent to their labors. Twenty or more women (and a couple of men) sat

elbow to elbow at a long work table. They chatted and cracked jokes, but they

didn't slacken the pace and they didn't complain. Well, at least, not much.

"No dirty books allowed," joked Dale O'Brien as she dusted off a dust jacket.

"Mrs Meloni, I've got to sit somewhere else. The person to my right is

left-handed and we keep colliding," said Lori Pankowski.

"Where are your sewing machines?" asked an interested onlooker.

As shop floor foreman, Mrs Meloni was ever mindful of the importance of

establishing a positive work environment.

"I shouldn't have seated them facing the unpacked boxes," she noted, pointing

to a mountain of sealed cartons still waiting to be opened.

"We need a lot more volunteers to finish this, and I hope people realize it's

not difficult. Almost all the jobs can be done sitting down," Mrs Meloni said.

If anyone would like to contribute some time to the book cleaning effort at

Bridgeport Hall during the coming week, they are welcome to join the crew, Mrs

Meloni said.

"In case you haven't noticed, we have fun, too," she added.

Probably more than they had 150 years ago.