Part
1
of this history covered the period from the establishment of Russell Library in
1876 to the resignation of its second Director, Willis K. Stetson, in
1887. Part
II covered the Library from 1887 to 1926, under the leadership of Laura F.
Philbrook and Edna H. Wilder. Part III covers the administrations of Nathaly E.
Newton and William Van Beynum, extending over 50 years from 1926 to 1978.
Nathaly E. Newton, 1926 – 1963
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| Nathaly Newton at the Reference Desk, 1926 |
Nathaly Newton holds the
distinction of being Russell Library’s longest-serving Director. In her 38 years as head of Russell Library,
Director Newton recreated Library spaces and collaborated with other local
organizations to meet community needs. In
1930 the City helped fund the addition of the Hubbard wing, and in the 1940s
the Middletown Garden Club undertook the care of the grounds. As is usual in hard economic times, the
Depression led to a great increase in the popularity of Russell Library. The Library reached out to the community in a
variety of ways. Russell lent books to
the five CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) camps around the City, and during
the 1936 and 1938 floods the Library provided books to people who were driven
out of their homes and temporarily housed in the Armory.
The Library continued to
struggle to meet its obligations, and explored a new ways to fund
operations. One experiment was a rental
service for new fiction, started in the early 1940s. By 1948, shortly before the program was
discontinued, most new fiction was only available for a rental fee—which was
not popular with the public or the Russell Library Company Board of Trustees. Despite this short-lived program, Russell’s
collections grew from approximately 30,000 in 1930 to 80,000 in the early
1960s. The Library began offering phonograph records and films in the 1940s,
with a screen and projector available to view films. This led to regular film showings that
continue to this day. In 1957 a project began to microfilm Middletown’s
newspapers, and as a result Russell acquired its first microfilm reader.
In 1963 Nathaly Newton
retired, and William Van Beynum became Librarian.
William Van Beynum, 1963 - 1978
 |
| William Van Beynum (center) |
Shortly after William Van Beynum became
Librarian, Russell purchased its first Docustat photocopier. In 1967 the Board approved funds for a
bookmobile, so that the South Farms and Westfield branches could be closed
while the Library continued to provide services to the entire City. The Bookmobile began operation in 1969,
stocked with books from the recently-closed South Farms branch.
In 1972 the new Children’s Library was created
in the former First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Meriden, next door
to the Library. In 1975 Russell Library celebrated its 100th anniversary, and
as part of the celebration the building was designated an historic landmark by
the Greater Middletown Preservation Trust.
The staff was changing as well. In 1971 the Board proposed to the staff a
4-day, 40-hour work week, which the staff rejected. In 1976 non-administrative staff began
discussing the creation of a bargaining unit, and in March of 1977 the Board
voted to recognize the Russell Library Staff Association as the bargaining unit
for Library employees.
In 1978, after a period of ill-health, William
Van Beynum retired, and Arlene Bielefield was named Director.
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