Library Committee Shows Off New Bookcases

Contributed by Julia Freeman

Thanks to a grant from the Collington Foundation, the old Biography Room in the library has been transformed to the the Biography Room and More with the purchase of all new bookshelves for the room. The room will be one of the featured projects in the Celebration of Giving hosted by the Collington Foundation on Wednesday, October 16, from 2-4 PM.

The old bookshelves were largely in disrepair. With a team effort by library committee members, a grant application for new bookcases was written. After the grant was awarded, new bookcases were ordered, the books in the room were packed and stored, the room painted, and the carpet cleaned. The new bookcases arrived on September 12 and were installed by the store, Room and Board. Barbara Fairchild, chair of the Library Committee, organized committee member volunteers to unpack the books and place them in the new bookshelves. The room was ready on September 26^th.

The new bookcases have offered a big bonus. Because they are sturdy and actually accommodate the books, there is now much more space for books. Some of the small collections from the main library room have been added to the room, hence the new name Biography Room and More. The new bookcase project is now complete. However, the space made available in the main room is leading to changes in where various collections are housed – a work in progress.

Barbara Fairchild acknowledges the special help of many members: John and Helen Hindinger and Dorothy and John Barker for measuring the room initially, determining the optimal size and arrangement for new bookcases, and obtaining the cost quotation from Room and Board; Bill and Nancy Lively for packing the books for storage; Dick Garrison for adding all the shelves to the bookcases; Jessica Milstead for labels for the re-located collection; Pat Johns for the signage outside the room entrance; for all the many people who helped re-locate the small collections to the room and other areas of the Library and to Julia Freeman for writing the grant and report. Rob Reigle, Assistant Director of Facilities, arranged to have the boxes stored. He also had the old bookcases removed, the carpet cleaned, and the walls painted.

Awesome! The energy, enthusiasm and excitement of what’s on offer at Collington!

Contributed by Marian Fuchs

Friday’s Activities Fair filled the Auditorium with residents at tables presenting 45 campus activities, ranging from audio-visual training to yoga. Arranged by the RA Executive Committee, this event was a huge success, offering a dazzling variety of things to do for the lucky people who live on campus. The photos below are just a few of the dozens of people who showed up to promote their favorites.

Marion Robbins at the Yoga table, Shirley Denman of the Coloring Club, Bud Gardiner at the Camera Club, Scotti at Dining Committee, Clarita Rickets painting for Creative Arts group.

Pat Duggan and Joyce Garrison of the Flower Committee, Peter Pfund of the Sustainability Committee, Jim Giese promoting audio-visual training, and Don Peterson representing both the Garden Committee and the Composting project. Liz Barbehenn is at the next door Weed Warriors table.

Here are Delores Padrone and Mary Bird offering Spanish; Pat Kirkham, Herb Stone and Joyce Koch three of the large Library contingent, and Elizabeth Gill representing both the Marketing Committee and the Ambassadors Program.

Noel McPherson and Faith Torsani on the Collington Singers table; Gretta Esty and Nancy Brown signing up a new member of the Fitness Committee. Lorrie Rogers is talking to Anita Myers about the Collington MACCRA branch

RoAnne and Helen Hindinger were showing some of the Glass Case wares they sell for the benefit of the RA; Stephen Poole and Bill Lively were playing to promote the newly created Chess Club (although Bill is obviously taking a moment to chat with Elizabeth Gill). On the right Florence Zook shows what fun is to be had playing mahjongg.

Here are Irmgard Dugge for the Weed Warriors, Dorothy Yuan for the Booker and Beyond Book Club and Eloise Brache and Marion Henry for the ever-popular Drama Committee.

On the stage were Jim Florini with his drones (unpictured, alas), and two gentlemen billiard players; Laurie Cobb was at the table of the Health Service Committee, and in that picture Barbara Florini is talking Bonnie Cronin of the Women’s History Month, shown in the next picture. Peggy Latimer is representing the Collingtonian. Jane Miller was one of three women at the knitting table.

As time wore on, the Auditorium became more and more crowded, and the noise level went up. Two residents were said to have removed their hearing aids. The energy, enthusiasm and excitement were palpable.

What a rich and lively campus we have! What an extraordinary number of activities we (and the residents before us) have created for our education, enjoyment or self-improvement! As if the array of activities on offer in the fair were not enough, there are many, many others – perhaps as many as another 45.

Consider, for instance, the unrepresented operational committees and groups (e.g. Grounds, Fiscal Review, Committees, Low Vision Group), so many other opportunities (working at the Country Store, visiting in Creighton Center, welcoming newcomers at dinner). Think of our many musicians, (the Kollington Kats, and the many great singers and players who accompany evening glasses of wine in the Ivy Bar.) Think of our radio hams, and the many folks who fix things in the woodshop/hobby shop, where a plethora of tools are on offer. Then there’s the list-serve and the residents’ website keeping residents informed of what’s going on. There are the diverse ways of worship in the Chapel, and residents bringing worship to folks in the Creighton; there’s the Speakers Program, the Neighbor Program, and the wonderful array of concerts that come our way on Sundays and throughout the week. There’s the Interiors Group, bringing art to the walls of our Community Building, and the OO Shop that finds new homes for the things we no longer need, and funds all the wonderful things that we do.

What energy on the part of our community! All this activity is generated by us, the residents. These things are neither initiated, funded or organized by Management, or Sage or anyone but just us, and the residents who came before us.

When asked if they had seen anything like the verve of the Activities Fair in their previous CCRC positions, Justin Reaves and Megan Barbour both said they hadn’t. It is they who used the word ‘awesome’.

Let’s give ourselves a big pat on the back!

Bruce Smith’s Biography “Lincoln Gordon: Architect of Cold War Foreign Policy” will be in Library Soon

Bruce Smith has kindly donated a copy of this book to our library. Collington residents will find it particularly interesting that the book contains a beautifully written final chapter about Gordon’s days here at Collington. The chapter includes a moving description of Gordon’s friendship with fellow resident Marjorie Criser, still very much with us.

The presentation and discussion were fascinating, bringing back to mind days both heroic and dubious, difficult and triumphant for America. We certainly have a lot of memories here.