News about Staff and Libraries in the Region

Dana Mastroianni is the new Director of M G Parker Memorial Library in Dracut.

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Judith Sacknoff is the new Library Media Specialist for Littleton Middle School.

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Paula Brown is the new Library Media Specialist for Connery Elementary School in Lynn.

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Mamie Custer is now Senior Librarian - Information Services at the Newburyport Public Library. Joining her at the Reference Desk is recent Simmons graduate, Rebecca Meehan who has assumed the position of Staff Librarian.

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The Winthrop Public Library & Museum received a $40,000 grant from the Massachusetts Historical Museum to repair, refurbish and generally restore its severely damaged third-floor Museum room, Lobby and Reading Room.

Nearly ten years ago, the rooms had been severely damaged after two severe rainstorms. The ceiling plaster collapsed, but only slight damage occurred to the collection. The Museum holds an extensive town history collection of papers, portraits and artifacts, largely consisting of materials connected with the Civil War.

With the grant from the MHC and extra money from our Friends of the Library and our Trustees, all three rooms have new ceilings, have been freshly painted and have new lighting which meets archival standards.

While the refurbishing was going on all the material had to be stored and moved around. So, now our staff is in the process of getting things back in order. Hopefully, by the end of the calendar year, the Museum, which is secured and only open by appointment and the Lobby and Reading Room will be open to the public in general.

The Library is in the process of restoring the woodwork and painted walls on the main floor of the Library. With the assistance of Richard Lombardi, a restorer, we are stripping and restoring all the woodwork to stain, back to its original state and providing fresh new paint to the walls.