By Cheryl Marino, President
For nearly a decade, the officers and board members of CT Hort have repeatedly discussed the possibility of closing the Rocky Hill office. Barely a handful of people have visited in the last several years to view or borrow books from the library. Mary Anna, our office administrator, works remotely. The office is rarely used and the time has come to re-direct the funds spent to maintain an office space.
Where will we go from here? Actually, much will stay the same. Speaker meetings will return to the Emanuel Synagogue, once that is again possible. Workshops and talks will be held in a garden, outdoors, or in partnership with one of our business supporters. Board meetings will remain virtual until the time when we can meet in a community space or private home. We may need to rent a small storage facility for certain records that should be held.
Our library assets are being transferred to reputable organizations within Connecticut who will make them available for use by the public. The books will be transferred to Connecticut College Arboretum, Bartlett Arboretum, and Naugatuck Valley Community College. UConn was approached, but had duplicates of most of our collection. In the hands of these larger, more public-facing institutions, our collection will be available to a greater number of people throughout Connecticut. Each book will be identified as having been received from the CT Hort library.