1 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:11,399 Speaker 1: From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England Weekend. 2 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: Each week right here we come together, we talk about 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 1: all the topics important to you and the place where 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: you live. Thanks for tuning in this week. I'm Nicole Davis. 5 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: When it comes to keeping things funded and going public, 6 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: libraries have to get creative from time to time, and 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: sometimes that means selling off some books. Sometimes you have 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: a cart all year long sitting on the side by 9 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: the entrance. You can walk in pick out books that 10 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: have been donated or that they're rotating out of stock. 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's a really big sale where you can go 12 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: for a couple of days and bring home a giant 13 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: pile of stuff to read. Over in Nahant, they're holding 14 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: a book sale there at the public library as well, 15 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: but this one is not quite like the rest. You 16 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: don't actually have to go there to go buy these books. Instead, 17 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: just log onto eBay. They've set up shop there auctioning 18 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: off rare titles that in some cases have not seen 19 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: the light of day in decades. They're doing this to 20 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: bring an extra revat for all kinds of reasons, including 21 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: the chance to get fresh, new contemporary books into patron's hands. 22 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: Now the library director there is Nori Morgenstein. She joins 23 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: us now on the show, and it's good to have you. Nori. 24 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: First of all, let's talk about the history of the library, 25 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: because it's been around for quite some time. 26 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 2: Not Public Library actually just celebrated it's one hundred and 27 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: thirtieth anniversary of the building. Our library collection is actually 28 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 2: much older. It's the third oldest collection in the country. 29 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 2: And yeah, so our collection goes back to eighteen nineteen 30 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 2: and then the building was created in eighteen ninety five 31 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 2: and it was built specifically to hold that collection, so 32 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 2: we still have books from the original collection from eighteen nineteen. 33 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 2: We're still an old historic building, the same building that 34 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 2: was made one hundred and thirty years ago, and we're 35 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 2: considered a historic landmark. We have only four staff. We're 36 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 2: very small library, and I became the director just over 37 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 2: two years ago. It is a library where we know 38 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 2: everybody's names and they know us, and it's really nice. 39 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 2: It helps us to purchase books for the library because 40 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 2: we know what our people like to read, and it 41 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: helps us plan programs because we do have that closeness 42 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 2: with the community and they ask for things and we 43 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: try to bring it for them. 44 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, let's talk about this collection that you are going 45 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: to be putting up online and that you have already 46 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: been putting up online. You were talking about how this 47 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: building was essentially built for this epic collection. Where did 48 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: you get the idea that maybe it's time to let 49 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: a few of these books go? 50 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,959 Speaker 2: Okay? So when I first started, there were a lot 51 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 2: of old books everywhere, and they weren't really organized, and 52 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 2: there was a large section it was just indicated needed 53 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 2: to be tossed. We've tried getting rid of some of 54 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 2: our old library books to booksellers, and for the most part, 55 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 2: they tell us they don't want books that have library 56 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:16,119 Speaker 2: markings on them or anything wrong with them. And I'd 57 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 2: say the majority of our books show a lot of 58 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 2: wear and tear. And they're not all old library books, 59 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 2: but some of them are, and they were withdrawn many 60 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 2: decades ago and they've just been sitting here. And normally, 61 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 2: when a library gets rid of a book, it's because 62 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 2: it's not being checked out anymore, or it has too 63 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 2: much wear, and we get rid of it or we 64 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 2: donate it. But these books nobody had done anything with 65 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 2: for decades, and so they were taking up really valuable space. 66 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 2: As you know, we're a small library and a small 67 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 2: town and space is everything. So over the last couple 68 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 2: of years, I've been working actually with a volunteer. I 69 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 2: can't take the credit. She's the rock star here. Her 70 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 2: name is Joyce Haynes, and volunteering her own time. Has 71 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 2: been going through all these books with us, and she 72 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: what I asked her to do is we gave her 73 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 2: a list of names and important events that happened in 74 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 2: the Haunt and the surrounding communities. And if any of 75 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 2: the books are important to the Haunt, we don't want 76 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 2: to sell them or get rid of them. I want 77 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 2: to try to preserve them and keep them in the collection. 78 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 2: And then we have a separate pile of books that 79 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 2: we can sell in our year round book sale, and 80 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 2: we do. The book sale is year round upstairs, and 81 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: then once in the summer we bring it outside and 82 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 2: there's a whole section that we call Specials, which make 83 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 2: up a lot of these older books. But as you 84 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 2: should imagine, not a lot of people want to buy 85 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 2: a book that that is that old and has some 86 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 2: damage in it, or as old library placards in it. 87 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 2: So this this idea for eBay came came to light, 88 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 2: and I thought, you know, maybe we can save books 89 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 2: this way, because otherwise we'd end up just getting rid 90 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 2: of them. And I didn't have huge you know, I 91 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 2: didn't think it would be that successful. It was just 92 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 2: sort of a last minute decision because I hate getting 93 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 2: rid of books. There's got to be someone out there 94 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: that wants to read them, right, So we started the 95 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 2: eBay page and that's actually run by the Friends of 96 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 2: the Naha Public Library, and which is great because they're 97 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 2: a nonprofit. And yeah, and within within I think maybe 98 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 2: hours of posting the first book, we had a bid 99 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,679 Speaker 2: on it. And they've been posting more books with Joyce. 100 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 2: She's been pulling ones. She's the one that's how been 101 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 2: helping us organize and find the right books, and she's 102 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 2: now in charge of selling them on our eBay page 103 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 2: with the friends. And yeah, and we've sold several books 104 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 2: or I don't know if I'm learning the eBay lingo 105 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 2: that people have bid on them and I guess won 106 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 2: them in the auction, okay, and some of them were 107 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 2: experimenting and they have like the buy it now options 108 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 2: and so people can buy things without bidding on them. 109 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 2: And we don't have a lot up yet, but it's 110 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 2: it's a goal to get more and more of these 111 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 2: books that aren't selling and aren't going anywhere, that are 112 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 2: just really gathering dust in the library and put them 113 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 2: in the hands of people who want to read them. 114 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, and hands of people around the world potentially, because 115 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 1: you can hold a book sale at the library and 116 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 1: you get you know, people from Nahant, maybe some people 117 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: from right around the North Shore the Boston area who 118 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: might make their way into the library and see these books. 119 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: But there's really nothing like essentially opening it up to 120 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 1: a worldwide audience. And there might be somebody in who 121 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: knows where, I don't know, Kalamazoo that goes on eBay 122 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: and they're looking for a very specific version of war 123 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: and peace and oh, by the way, it happens to 124 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: be like in the Nahant Library's attic. How incredible is that? 125 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 2: It is incredible? Yeah, I and books really have sentimental value, 126 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 2: and even me personally, it's hard getting rid of library 127 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 2: books I've never seen or read before. So I know 128 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 2: there's got to be someone out there for each of 129 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 2: these books. And that's really our intention that we do 130 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 2: also want to read money for the library, and all 131 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 2: all the purchases, all the money goes to the fronts 132 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 2: who help us pay for things like library programs and events. 133 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 2: So it's really a really helpful thing, and I really 134 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 2: hope we continue to have success with it. 135 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: And you are making a little bit more space for 136 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: newer books that you know kids might enjoy, and more 137 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: of that programming and a little bit of spring cleaning 138 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: never hurts. 139 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 2: Actually that's true too. 140 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: I'm assuming you do not need donations or do you 141 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: want people to maybe give you some of their valuable 142 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: older books. What are you looking for? 143 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 2: We actually take donations every day. They're usually we have 144 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 2: this qualifier where we say they need to be in 145 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 2: good shape. But obviously some of these books on our 146 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 2: eBay page aren't in the bust shape because they've been, 147 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 2: you know, sitting in a no h vac attic or 148 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 2: on a shelf for decades. But for the most part, 149 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 2: for donations, we do take them any day, and a 150 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:38,319 Speaker 2: lot of them just go right immediately to our book sale, 151 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 2: which also benefits the library. And the other thing I 152 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 2: always I always make sure to say we don't take 153 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 2: encyclopedias or magazines because a lot of people want to 154 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 2: get rid of those. We have nowhere to put them. 155 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 1: No, that's true. I mean national geographics are great, but 156 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: if you've got like five hundred, what do you do 157 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: with those? 158 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 2: Like? 159 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: Where do you put them? 160 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 2: Exactly? Exactly. In my library career, I've had maybe like 161 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 2: forty people want to give us their national geographical not 162 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 2: just in Nahunt but in all the library. It's a thing, 163 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:09,959 Speaker 2: it is. 164 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: I mean, we love them, and then it's like, well 165 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: that was nice. 166 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 2: Now what we hope nobody wants to throw it away? 167 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 2: And I think that's actually a really good day. We're 168 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 2: becoming more of a society that is upcycling and reusing. 169 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 2: So I do think there's a home for items everywhere, 170 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 2: I hope. 171 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 1: So you know, well, if somebody wants to maybe go 172 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: put a bit on one of your books, if they want 173 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: to find out more about the work the friends are 174 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: doing and everything you've got going on at the library, 175 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 1: how can they connect with that? 176 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 2: So if you go to eBay, you can type in 177 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 2: friends of Nahant Public Library and you will see all 178 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 2: of the items we have posted currently and hopefully that 179 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 2: number will increase soon. Okay, we have a Facebook page 180 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 2: and a website and and our Facebook page often is 181 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 2: just really for library events. We post all the events 182 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 2: that we do, but I also sometimes post bird pictures. 183 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 2: We have a bird buddy, so people love seeing the 184 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:14,680 Speaker 2: birds that visit the library. 185 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: Nice. I love buddy so cute, I. 186 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 2: Know, and it's really great for the library. Who doesn't 187 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 2: love seeing birds and they'll go to our Facebook page 188 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 2: to get update. So currently our bird buddy is surrounded 189 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 2: by a lot of snow that is finally starting to mout, 190 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 2: so I can hopefully get back to it soon. I 191 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 2: feel bad when I'm not feeding the birds, but but yeah, 192 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:39,559 Speaker 2: so we do it. We do have an online presence 193 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 2: and we participate in Zoom programs too, so some of 194 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 2: our programs are digital. 195 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: I appreciate your time, Nori. It is great to have 196 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: you here on the show, and best of luck with 197 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: selling off your stuff. 198 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 2: Thank you, thanks for wanting to talk to me about it. 199 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 2: I love I'll talk about the library anytime, and thank 200 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 2: you so much. 201 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: Have a safe and healthy weekend. Please join us again 202 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: next week for another edition of the show. I'm Nicole 203 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.