01 Oct Ross and Fayne Daniels Children’s Room is Officially Open!
In 2019, when a committee was formed to plan a year of celebration for the Pawling Library’s centennial in 2021, it was determined that a new children’s room would be an exciting and worthwhile centennial project to celebrate 100 years of lifelong learning and educational enrichment available to all at our library. As the centennial year approached, the committee planned a series of enjoyable programs celebrating the year (1921) when the library was founded. This happened to coincide with the beginning of the Roaring Twenties, a noteworthy period of exciting change in America and the designated theme of all the proposed activities. The pandemic, however, had other plans for all of us, and so the centennial celebration was pushed into 2022 so that programming and the Roaring Twenties-themed gala could take place safely. At that time, fundraising began in earnest for the children’s space, and thanks to the generosity of many, as well as several grants and a lot of patience, this dream of a devoted space for the library’s littlest patrons has now become a reality.
Under library director Chris Fisher’s steady leadership, construction of the new space was finally completed last spring, and he, along with the library’s board of directors, staff, and volunteers welcomed the community to its celebratory official opening. On September 13th , 100 guests arrived to commemorate the much-anticipated dedication of the new (and, I might add, fabulous!) children’s room. In tribute to Ross and Fayne Daniels for their lifelong support of the library and its service to children, the board has named this delightful space for them. Chris was quick to comment, “It was such a special day for Pawling. To see people rally around our organization, but also celebrate two people who put so much good into this community, is amazing. This is only the most recent chapter in the legacy of Daniels support for the library. We are so honored to be part of this, and to put this space to work for the children of this wonderful community.”
Several invited speakers expressed praise for the united endeavor that had led to the completion of this children’s space, prior to the ribbon cutting, which was carried out with adorable fanfare by Ross and Fayne’s great-grandchildren, Max and Edie. The day’s speakers included State Senator Rob Rolison; town supervisor James Schmitt; village mayor Lauri Taylor; library board president Amy Emke; library executive director Chris Fisher; and the Daniels family representative, granddaughter Meghan Daniels, who spoke lovingly about her grandparents and about how meaningful this space, named in their honor, is to the entire Daniels family.
With more than 320 programs at the library designed specifically for young children and attended by 6,000 of them during the past year, this new addition, created for the youngest in our community with attention given to how they learn, is sure to put great big smiles on many happy little faces. If you haven’t popped
in to see what all the effort over the last six years has been about, you are invited to do so. Prepare to be charmed!
For information about programs offered to children of all ages, log onto the library website at pawlingfreelibrary.org.
–by Susan Stone