AN UNEXPECTED HIGHLIGHT

One unexpected highlight for those of us charged with manning the registration table at the recent two-day Genealogy Conference, held at Worcester Public Library, was watching the steady and eclectic flow of library users stream past on their way through the building. Many stopped out of curiosity, to share a bit family history, or to warmly greet retired staff members who had agreed to participate in the event. A long-time patron proudly showed us a copy of a letter she had written to a local newspaper in support of funding for libraries. A young woman who had recently immigrated from Jamaica studied a list of upcoming programs. Families with young children walked out laden with towering stacks of picture books and DVDs. A member of a Sudbury fife and drum corps in full regalia hurried past on his way to use an express internet station, and several members of our YA Anime Wings Club dug deep into the pockets of their faded black denims to donate a few coins to the Gaudette Fund which supports the genealogy collections at WPL. It was all a moving reminder to me of just how integral the public library is to the communities we serve. I can't help but wish we'd had a video camera!