Library Vision
Franklin Public Library strives to be the trusted source of inspiration, enrichment, and opportunity.
Library Mission
The mission of the Franklin Public Library is to foster knowledge and engagement through education, enrichment, and technology.
Strategic Priorities
• Be an informed citizen: local, national, and world affairs
• Foster inclusivity, diversity, equity & cultural awareness
• Connect to the online world
• Satisfy curiosity: Literacy & Lifelong Learning
• Stimulate imagination: Reading, Viewing, and Creating
• Succeed in School: resources & homework help
• Public space: accessible, comfortable, welcoming & safe physical and virtual Spaces
• Augment workforce development
• Bolster strategic communications: build awareness and use of services, programs, and collections.
FY23 Highlights
An Impactful Legacy
In December 2022, the Library received a significant donation of $70,000 from the Franklin Library Association, FLA. The FLA has been the cornerstone of the Library's inspirational history, the rock upon which the Franklin Public Library stands, the reason we still have the Benjamin Franklin Collection. This year, the FLA closed its books after a century of service.
FLA's contributions to our community are impossible to quantify. They acted in varying capacities first by rescuing the original collection from impeding ruin, second by funding the library operations until 1982 when the town took over, and then later by serving as guardians and benefactors of the Library's preservation, digitization and restoration efforts.
To date, they have expended over $525,000 for the preservation, digitization and restoration of a remarkable range of early written local materials with great significance to Franklin's history and the restoration of the beautiful paintings and murals.
A few examples of items that have been digitized and made available for the first time online include works that preceded the FLA to the present:
• Records of Justice Jabez Fisher
• Records of the FLA
• Notes on Franklin History, 1878
• Fire District records, 1868-1917
• School Committee record books, 1880-1919
• List of Residents directories for the Town of Franklin, 1884-2017
• 35 mm microfilm reel of the Franklin Town Records, 1736-1824
These resources are vital for genealogy and local history research.
Restoration of the Murals and Paintings
Previous restoration efforts of the Gallison/Juglaris murals and painting in Memorial Hall, the Delivery Room, and the Reading Gallery were substandard and damaging. With funding from the FLA, the library has done the following:
• Completed a detailed study of the murals and paintings by art and architectural experts to determine the best way to restore them to their original motifs. This required cleaning each work, removing layers of paint from previous restorations, and reinstating the historic colors and designs on the decorative plaster.
• Restored all of the paintings, frames, and murals in Memorial Hall and the Delivery Room
• Invested in a beautiful, glass case to display the original Benjamin Franklin donation
Restoration of the Reading Gallery is all that remains.
The community owes an innumerable debt of gratitude to the FLA for safe-guarding and preserving the magnificent art and architecture, the original Benjamin Franklin collection and other local history collections as well as the irreplaceable historic manuscript collection. These efforts ensure that future generations will continue to benefit from our unique historical collections and enjoy the awe-inspiring splendor of the building.
Vicki Earls, the Head of Reference and Public Services produced two significant documents - a brilliant and inspiring chronicle of the Town's historic districts, and an outstanding work of research clarifying how the Town of Franklin's name came to be. This work titled "What's in A Name? Benjamin Franklin and the Birth of a New Town in Revolutionary America" was publish in the Spring, 2023 volume of The New England Journal of History.
We implemented English as a Second language (ESL) program to help non-native English speakers improve their reading, writing, listening and conversational skills. To date, over 60 volunteer tutors have stepped up to the plate. The Library successfully applied for a $15,000 grant to expand the ESL collection and program.
Based on the feedback received from the 2022 survey, we have increased music events, and implemented weekly art workshops across a broad range of audiences. We shifted collections to increase accessible, comfortable and accepting spaces to accommodate mounting patron demand for more study and work space.
Library partnerships
The Library draws upon local and national expertise, community resources, and partnerships with municipal departments, community agencies, educational and cultural institutions, and individuals to assist in program delivery. In collaboration with the Health Department, we hosted two successful Health Fairs in October and May. 480 people participated in October and 668 in May.
Camille Bernstein teamed up with Steve Sherlock to bring the sophisticated art of creative writing through poetry to residents of all ages during National Poetry month in April.
Through partnerships with neighboring libraries we provided a wide range of opportunities to engage with new and exciting material and expanded virtual program offerings such as: author talks, history and art presentations and more.
Working with the IRS, we established a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site to serve low income patrons in our community. We look forward to expanding this program from two to three days a week in the coming year.
We began collaborations with local small businesses to bring hybrid attendance seminars on various topics of interest.
Keeping the youth engaged with enriching early literacy programs, exciting after school activities, homework help, outreach to the schools and summer reading and learning activities remain a priority.
The Youth Services department has enjoyed a period of growth and community goodwill over this fiscal year, with successes of over 35,000 in program attendance, school and community partnerships, and exciting plans for the future.
We introduced Community Conversations in collaboration with local poet/activist Jamele Adams, who alongside Caleigh facilitated and engaged community members of all ages in meaningful conversations on a range of topics, including generational differences, housing, book banning, racism, food insecurity, to name a few.
We worked with local community groups to expand our cultural programming. Annual celebrations include: Diwali, Lunar New Year, and Eid,
The President of Dean College generously offered the use of Dean facilities and grounds to the Library making it possible to accommodate large crowds of over 500 people at programs. Plans for joint grants and activities, such as dance and theatre shows, music & concerts, author visits, outdoor movies, library orientations for Dean students and faculty are underway. This exciting partnership will hopefully activate the sidewalks and streets between the Dean College and the library and grow to include the entire Franklin community in the years ahead.
Following the past season's success, we are expanding our Farmer's Market visits to include adult offerings for the upcoming market season, and will be providing more comprehensive library services onsite, from Museum pass highlights to library app tutorials, in addition to kids crafts and interactive activities.
School relationships:
In addition to our weekly BLAST program which reaches an average of 45-75 students per week at all 3 middle schools. We have expanded to the 5th grade at both Oak St and Keller Elementary. We plan to expand to other 5th grade classrooms in the future.
We offered a graphic novelist panel in partnership with the middle schools in May 2023, which included not just author talks and signings, but also some creative expression and art department faculty and student involvement.
We also expanded upon weekly storytimes at the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) to ensure representation amongst the Monday, Wednesday, Friday classrooms. We have continued our quarterly visits to Dean College Children's Center and are also revitalizing our previous partnership with Bright Horizons that we enjoyed pre-COVID. All of these collaborations serve to connect families to library services, familiarize children, teachers, and caregivers with the library's offerings and also boost circulation within the department.
Program Attendance:
We have seen a steady upward trend in attendance numbers for our weekly, weekend, and afternoon storytimes. We have expanded our afternoon programming for all ages, currently providing toddler programs 3 afternoons a week, school-age programs 4 afternoons a week, and a weekly art program for middle school children. Tween and teen attendance at weekly programs is thriving. We have also enjoyed record numbers at our most recent holiday programming, notably our Trunk or Treat event and our Noon Year's Eve Party.
Summer Reading
Our summer reading program seeks to connect families with library resources and provide opportunities for reading, learning, and engagement. Programs include reading logs, activity packets and incentives. So far, over 800 children, teens and adults have signed up for the Summer 2023 Reading program.
We are deeply grateful for the Town Administrator's unwavering support and the Town council's continued investment in a strong library. This makes it possible for staff to continue to innovate, adapt and meet the needs of our community.
The Friends provide valuable support through their sponsorship of library events, program incentives, staff appreciation and so much more.
Respectfully Submitted
Felicia Oti
Director, Franklin Public Library
The full Library report can also be found in one PDF ->
The full Town of Franklin FY 2023 Annual Report can be found online
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| Annual Report Of The Franklin Public Library: FY 2023 Report |
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