Page 8 - December 2018 Wheel FINAL

WAL LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE DECEMBER 13

By Janis Eve Richards

focus on personal and academic af-
She contacted WAL’s maintenance fairs." The residents he’s met while in
crew to move the book shelves. They the library have been “friendly, po-
were relocated to the Activities Of- lite, and courteous.”
fice with former Activities Coordina-
tor Sue Stacks’ permission. It is from Now nearing 30 years of existence,
within that space that the WAL Li- the digital era is upon us. People can
brary began to grow. read stories on anything from laptops
to smart devices at the touch of a fin-
John Rutledge traded books to bring ger. “Some of us still turn the pages
in newly-released books as they de- and like the feel of holding a book in
buted. Like local public libraries, he our hands,” Richards says.
usually obtained several copies of the
latest writings. Many volunteers do- Friends of the WAL Library
nated humor, health, book-to-film, So many friends have helped main-
Are you a literary aficionado, a politi- personal narratives, politics, and chil-
cal wonk, or social butterfly looking dren/juvenile literature, but not just tain the impressive library WAL has
to mingle? Our library at Watergate at any book would do. No tattered, torn, today. Retired professional librarian
Landmark is a place where all these or waterlogged books exist in the Marsha Ward enjoys volunteering
yearnings are satisfied and more. It’s WAL library. because she “loves Watergate and
where the Evening Book Club meets, wants to give back.” When asked
neighbors chat, and students hack on Decades later, the library now de- about the kinds of books the library
their smart devices. Filled with a pends on the WAL community's do- has, Ward says, "The library has such
plethora of books, policy mavens, nations for new books. Volunteers a variety of books because we have a
novel enthusiasts, and children alike rotate the collection, which altogether variety of readers [at WAL]."
whet their literary appetite within its could fill the library three times over. Georges Jacques, a Board Member
walls. The check-in/out policy is on It continues to stand the test of time, and library volunteer for 8 years now,
the honor system, so no library card even in its current home across from rotates new books into the library and
needed here. It's amazing that a li- Resident Services. Volunteers create moves older books into storage.
brary so well-organized and main-
tained is done so by a group of volun- “It was serendipitous circumstances that brought
teers known as the Friends of the this library together.”~Janis Richards
WAL Library!

Humble Beginnings beautiful themed displays each month These are a few of the many volun-
Our Library has been functioning showcased in the window with books teers who help make WAL's library
since the early 1990's by several in- related to the theme. an excellent place to socialize, work,
teresting happenstances. John or learn.
Rutledge was an owner here at Wa- What the Library Means to Us
tergate and a long-time volunteer The library functions in different You don't have to go too far to
with the library. One day, he noticed ways for different residents here at quench your literary thirst. Our li-
people donating like-new paperback WAL. “Ours is a social library where brary is a valuable amenity here at
books to the Activities Office. Janis friends gather sometimes to discuss WAL. Drop in at any time to donate
Richards discovered two 6-foot tall books but not exclusively,” says or pick up books, chat with neighbors
solid wooden book shelves on Bldg. Richards, who volunteered with the or use the Wi-Fi connection to access
4’s loading dock. It seemed as if cir- library for over 22 years. "It’s always the Internet.

cumstances were aligning to create been a meeting place as long as it’s
what would become the library. been here,” she further explains. WAL Library Open House
Andre Dufatanye, visiting WAL from
“It was serendipitous circumstances December 13th between
that brought this library together,” France, uses the library in a different 3:00 and 6:00 PM
Richards stated. way. To him, the library is “a place to

Page 8 Wheel December 2018/January 2019