Art Reception at Library
To Raise Funds for Lighting
By Mary Anderson

There will be a fundraiser for the Bethel Public Library on Sunday, March 30, 3-4:30 p.m., at the library.

Nostalgic for the displays by local artists that used to happen at the Forward Festival, the library has put together an exhibit of work by Bethel artists, as well as a dessert reception.

The purpose of this event, which has a fee at the door, is to raise money for the library to replace the current lighting with energy efficient fixtures.

Like many libraries today, the Bethel Library is a blend of the old and the new. Housed partly in an old bank building that current librarian Cathy Day believes was built in 1865, the library sports a high-speed internet connection that draws patrons from surrounding towns.

Thanks to the generous donation by Bethel resident Mary Branliere upon her death in 1965, the building was enlarged and provided with a substantial endowment, which has ensured the library’s continuity through the years.

However, with rising energy costs and increasing awareness of the importance of reducing carbon use for the health of the environment, the library is engaging in this fundraiser and hopes the residents of Bethel will support it.

The Bethel library is open three days a week and has a circulation of approximately 20,000 books per year. For more information about the event call Cathy Day at the library, 234-9107, or Lisa Hill at 234-5369.