Phoenicia Public Library Fire

Rising from the Ashes of a Library Fire

Early on the morning of Saturday, March 19th, 2011, the Phoenicia Public Library (~13.5 miles from Woodstock, NY) had a major fire, which gutted a good portion of the building it was occupying. An article (see here) appearing in the Daily Freeman newspaper was forwarded to me, and I decided that I'd go up and take a look to see what had happened and what the next steps the town had to resurrect its library. The following Saturday, March 26, I drove up to Phoenicia with my mother, into the cool air of the mountains on an early spring afternoon. The sky was blue and the temperature was probably just ten degrees above freezing. But it was fresh air. And the sun shined brightly.

Driving into town, we actually first found the "new" library, which had a nice big sign out front, and which you will see further down in this posting. The photos you see here are actually from the burned library, mostly out front. It was located on the main thoroughfare going through Phoenicia. The "new" temporary library is housed in an old medical arts building. I went in and found a group of people chatting. I asked what was happening and met the very friendly and helpful local librarian & director, Tracy Priest, who told me that they were trying to get things set up in the building as best as they could. I'll return to this conversation shortly. But I wanted to show some of the original library here at first.

Ms. Priest told me where I'd find the original library, and cautioned me about being careful. So, when I went back onto the main street, I just took photos from the front and side, and didn't go near any of the potentially dangerous areas of the building. Here you can see some of the burned building and materials that were tossed out the side...including some burned equipment, computers, and books.

The front and side of the original library, which burned. Below, a reminder of the "Best Library Ever!" posted in the window, as seen from the front.

Back to the "new" library space (above)--I had a nice conversation with Ms. Priest, and took a quick tour around the nascent little library. Considering the circumstances, the resilience of the Phoenicia Library is remarkable. Though, there were probably only a hundred or so books available, everything seemed to be in full motion--moving toward a well-functioning new library. Above, we see a table with a computer and some welcoming coffee...for visitors that Saturday, when I visited.

Above, a shelf of local and Catskill history. Below, the children's room.

I found the image of the library's logo of a bear reading on some Adirondack chairs quite charming. They put the image on some t-shirts, as well as out front of the new library. See the images below...

Below is the new library location. It was a great pleasure to meet the folks in Phoenicia, and to see what a strong spirit they had after this devastating fire. Phoenicia, which has been known to suffer devastating floods from time to time (as they are located in a floodplain), has been resilient once again after this tragedy.

For those interested in helping, monetary donations can be sent to the Phoenicia Library (Temporary Location), 9 Ava Maria Drive, P.O. Box 555, Phoenicia, NY 12464, or to the website (http://phoenicia.lib.ny.us). See also the Facebook Page "Phoenicia Librarians." If you would like to call the library, the number is 845-688-7811. We wish Phoenicia all the best in their work to rebuild their library and community gathering space!

A Midtown Stroll: The NYPL, the Morgan Library, and the Library Hotel

"So Someone Walks Into a Hotel..."

Okay, so I actually did NOT go into any hotel. But I walked by a hotel recently. It's not quite the joke you imagine. Just over a week ago, I attended a meeting-tour of the New York Theological Libraries Association (NYATLA), which met at the Pierpont Morgan Library in midtown Manhattan. On the way to the meeting, I happened to walk by the locally famous "Library Hotel," which I'll surely have to explore more in depth at another time, because it is clearly an interesting and curious operation, which bases its floors, rooms, and suites on the Dewey Decimal System. Of course, to many in academic libraries, Dewey is an outdated system, often supplanted by LC classification. To Dewey's credit, he did do a stint as University Librarian at Columbia back in the 1880s. So we'll keep him for now! The Library Hotel is located off of Madison Avenue and East 41st Street, not far from either the Pierpont Morgan Library or the New York Public Library.

The Pierpont Morgan Library, where we met and had our tour was a magnificent place, and indeed, a magnificent institution with an abundance of cultural treasures. Located around E. 37th and Madison Avenue, the library has recently been expanded and updated with a marvelous new social gathering space designed by famed architect Renzo Piano. The New York Times had a review of it back in 2006. It is really quite a remarkable space, full of light and glass and modern angles that make you feel like you're in a fantastically naturalistic outdoor cathedral. This space connects various parts of the museum and library, including the gift and book shop, the dining room, the cafe, the galleries (both up- and downstairs), as well as what I'd consider the focal attractions of J.P. Morgan's study and library. In these rooms, Morgan's study specifically, one can cast a glance at where the seat of American financial decision making and power took place more than a century ago--including the massive vault adjacent to Mr. Morgan's study. Oddly, the vault on the day of the visit was open, and visitors could see hundreds of rare books on the interior shelves, while a table stood in the middle of the vault with a charming couplet portraiture of Martin Luther and his wife Katharina Luther (nee von Bora)! I was assured that this was not Morgan's idea! In the private library nearby, separated from the study by a rotunda-style middle-room with pillars, there were displays of manuscripts of the great classic composers, including Mozart's manuscript of his Symphony No. 35, some Schumann chamber works, and a Cantata of Bach! It was astounding to see such handwriting of the greats, and hard to fathom that they'd touched the very pages that lay within inches of my nose, as I focused entranced on each object! They also had proofs of famous books and scribbles from their authors (Lewis Carol, for example), as well as an early Caxton edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, dating from the 1400s. They also had a great exhibit on the history of diaries. So if you have time to see it before it ends, I recommend it.

I made my way back afterward, past the New York Public Library and snapped this photo of the famous lions (or at least one of those lions!) Inside, there is a wonderful exhibit of "The Three Faiths," which includes dozens of rare books from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The place was packed with visitors when I went in, so I didn't stay that long. But what I saw was remarkable. I think that another visit and photographic essay should be devoted to this whole library, because it is simply extraordinary. As one of the largest libraries in the world, the NYPL has much to offer. And it's a gorgeous architectural gem, right in the middle of the city. I think if I had more time, I would have stayed longer...and not just because it was warmer inside than the freezing temperatures outside! There is a bigger story to tell here about this library, but we'll wait till it warms up.

On Louisville Streets: Libraries, Lewis, Levees, and Ali

Some Curiosities...and a Few Books

Continuing on my jaunt through Louisville, I discovered a handful of attractions that were of either natural or historical interest. And then a few others, which I thought were of "display value." One such curiosity was this street number, for a building, which indicated either the present location of the "Falls City Clothing" shop, or the original location. I wasn't looking closely enough to determine this though. All I saw were rectangular stones with engraved numbers and images, such as this one. And it was so out-of-the-ordinary, that I decided to snap a photo of it! This was located not far from the Louisville Slugger museum, and there were other similar "building numbers" located along the sidewalk.















The morning was getting increasingly hot and humid, so I continued to my next destination: the Muhammad Ali Center and Museum. The building is quite extraordinary--very modern, seemingly well-built, and with various touches of artistic flare. When you are at a distance, either across the river in Indiana or on one of the riverside walkways, you can see the image of a boxing Ali done up in a metal lattice-work along the top of the structure. During a tour I went on later in the day, the tour guide told us that the roof of the building is in the shape of a butterfly and you can see that from the air! (Remember: "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!") That was Ali's famous quote, and the architects and designers took in many ideas and concepts around the legendary boxer when they built this structure.

Of course, one of my interests was to find some books about Ali or at the Center. But there was one hitch: the morning I went to visit, the air conditioning system broke down. When I entered I was told that the museum was closed because of this. It was quite hot and humid inside. They told me that they'd have to keep the museum closed for at least a week or so, because that's how long it would take to fix the problem. So, I was rather disappointed by this. I also asked whether or not they had an Ali library. The folks at the front desk didn't seem to know. One said they didn't think there was one; the other said no. But then I met a fine gentlemen, who was actually a docent, and he offered me free tours upon my next visit to Louisville. He did know about the books and library of the Ali Center. Down in the lobby, where I was still standing, he pointed up above our heads and said: "right up there--we're building a library and research center. It's not done yet. But you can come back when it is!"

Before leaving, I checked out the gift and book shop...sort of! Well, the fact was that the shop was closed. As you can see from the sign: "Retail Closed Due to Extreme Heat." It probably should have said "Store Closed Because of Broken AC System." So, in the end, I didn't really get to see any Muhammad Ali books or library or research center, or even the museum itself. And all because of a broken cooling system! I wonder what the champ would think if he knew his center was being compromised by a little wimpy heat!? I mean, come on now, when did heat stop a boxing match? (Oddly, the icon on this sign looks like a building on fire!)

Now, on this very same morning, with the "extreme heat" closing the Ali Center, I found this woman sitting on a bench...reading in downtown Louisville! Of course, I had to take a photo of this Herculean pose: readers and readership on the street! It wasn't too hot for her to pause on a downtown bench, pull out a volume and read a bit under the warm gaze of the morning sun. Note also, she is sitting in front of a Print Shop. A small sign above and to the left of the reading woman shows this. It seems as if readers are like the post office...no matter rain or shine, sleet or snow, they still deliver! ...or read! Reading in sleet might be hard, though.















On this same afternoon we were on a bus tour to see some of the "hot spots" of Kentucky history, and this included crossing over into foreign territory: Indiana, which rests on the north shores of the Ohio. And in antebellum times, Indiana was free territory. In fact, this region was a trading and auction center for slaves, which makes the Church history of the Ohio River Valley very complex--since it was also the same region where the Beecher family ended up after preacher Lyman's move from the east coast in the early 19th century to Lane Seminary. And it was his daughter, Harriet Beecher Stowe, who was surely influenced by the happenings in this area. The biography of McCormick Seminary finds its predecessor seminaries not far from where these photos were taken, in New Albany, Indiana--where the school remained for a dozen or so years in the 1840s onward, before moving again and finally to Chicago. Louisville was a key location between Cincinnati and the Mississippi trade economy, where human "cargo" could be moved easily over water. It makes one pause to think about the geo-politics of our own country and how it once was, ...a river dividing freedom from slavery.















Below one of the major rapids (seen above), which has been partially tamed by the Army Corps of Engineers, there is one of the largest fossil beds in the world. During our visit it was covered by runoff from excessive rains. The statue below depicts Lewis and Clark (even though it looks more like Lewis and Napoleon!). As the tour guide noted, many cities claim that the expedition started "in their city." This was Indiana's claim! Louisville, too, has many commemorative signs and even some statues depicting York, Lewis and and Clark's black scout and co-traveler, who played a major role in the expedition, but is often lost in our public school history books.





























The Ohio River used to flood quite frequently, and the image above is of a cement levee. Other portions are made of raw earth. Transitioning back into Kentucky and Louisville, from our sojourn into Indiana, we find the public library system: below is a side image of the Louisville Public Library...





























The old facade and main entrance above and below are beautifully crafted and Carnegiesque. The link is www.lfpl.org, for those interested. According to this site, Louisville has had a library since 1816! Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to go inside the library, but it looked very impressive. Simply too many other things to do during the visit. And as I noted, it was quite hot. So it was more inviting to be on an air-conditioned bus covering far more ground, than peddling on a bike and getting sun-burned! Books and sun-burn? Now that's an interesting combo. Perhaps I should have called today's entry "Books and (Surviving the) Heat."