Bringing the community together – The Recorder

After Tilton Library in South Deerfield closed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, library staff began brainstorming ways to creatively continue the librarys annual Summer Reading Program.

After an intense school year being spent online, we wanted to get people off the screen, said Candace Bradbury-Carlin, director of the Tilton Library.

With the doors to the building closed, and patrons no longer allowed inside, she said there was also the question of how the library could continue fostering itsconnection with the community.

From theregrew the idea to produce a journal for the community, written by the community. The collaborative effortwould then function as summer reading material for teens and adults.

After putting out a callfor submissions in late May, the library received a wide variety of writing and artwork from students as young as 13 years old to residents who have retired, she said. Theyreceived poems, short stories, essaysand artwork in all mediums.

The library was really interested in community collaboration,Bradbury-Carlinsaid.And it was really clear that people in the community wanted to have that experience as well.

Erika Higgins Ross, who is partnering with Bradbury-Carlin on the project,said the subject of the submissions was also diverse. While some wrote science fiction, others reflected on issues being faced by society today.

LeoFranceschi, for example, wrote a poem about his own awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement.

I went to a couple protests before I wrote it, said Franceschi, a rising junior at Frontier Regional School in South Deerfield. AndIalso submitted a letter to the Greenfield Recorder about police violence, and how I felt.

The poem, titled Its not fair, is about white privilege and how the concept of race was created, he said. It was his first time writing a poem on the subject.

Franceschi, 16, who lives by the library, said the library is a place he has frequented since he was young. Prior to its closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked there as a student assistant librarian.

Im really happy theyre giving us this opportunity for the (journal), he said.

Franceschisaid he hopes his poem prompts othersto examine their own white privilege and what it means for them.

Another artist to be featuredis Deerfield Academy student Julia Hioe, 16, who submitted her painting, Golden Rule.

Hioe said she originally created the painting for an art class.

The assignment for the class was to come up with a bunch of different pieces relating to a question that you thought of, she said. My question was, How can you use art to promote acts of kindness?

Her painting, which depicts a young person on a step-stool, reaching up to a hold an umbrella over an older man who is asleep on a bench.

I wanted to say that anyone can do acts of kindness no matter how tall you are, no matter your age, no matter your background, she said.Anybody has the ability to be kind.

The Deerfield resident said the library has always been an important part of her life.

The library, its a very critical part of who I am, Hioe said.I love reading. During the quarantine, having everything be closed, I am really happy they decided to do this.

With the submission window closed, the journalwill bedesigned by Bradbury-Carlin, edited byHiggins Ross and copy-edited by another member of the community.

The journal will then be folded, stapled and ready for distribution by the end of July. Copies will be free to Deerfield residents, and all others will be asked to contributea suggested donation.

We picture this as a kick-off program and that we might have future issues, said Bradbury-Carlin.Andwhen it's safe to do so, wed like to have some kind of reception where the authors or artists can come in and show their work.

Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263. Twitter: @MaryEByrne

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Bringing the community together - The Recorder