Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
The Wakefield Public Library's new arrivals section greets patrons as they enter the library. Some of the shelves and other furniture in the library which came from the old Wakefield Memorial Building have been or are being restored, according to library officials.
By CHARITY SMITH
Wakefield - The Wakefield Public Library reopened its monthly patron exhibit this month. The exhibit, which features artwork and other collectibles belonging to library patrons, had been shut down for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"With the relaxing of some of the restrictions, we decided that we were able to safely reopen that. So we just restarted that," said Joel Laessig, library director.
The library started the exhibit in August 2019, and according to Laessig, it was doing very well and booked months in advance, until the pandemic forced the closure of the exhibits. Because the exhibit was shut down for so long, the library has exhibitors booked until August. Those interested in displaying their hobbies or collectibles can contact the library to fill out a submission form.
This month the exhibit features woodworking by Rhoda Charlevoix.
"She's really talented and she's got some beautiful pieces here," Laessig said.
He said they've had a variety of collection of items, such as old tins, hobby or craft, memorabilia and souvenirs.
"Whatever your into, if you'd like to share it with the public, we'd be happy to show it off for you," he said.
The display is located in a small cabinet inside the library. So exhibits need to be able to be displayed on a shelf, Laessig said.
The library is also working on some furniture restoration projects. Laessig said some of the furniture and shelves date back more than 100 years to the old Wakefield Memorial Building.
"They're made of quality materials, but they're in need of some work," said Laessig. "We're looking to get a lot more years use out of them."
He said he is doing a lot of the work himself on a volunteer basis, as the library doesn't have the funds to pay for the labor.
While the library is open, it is not holding any of its normal group activities. Laessig said he hopes to start a junior book club this summer as more restrictions are lifted. However, there is no definite timeline for activities to open, he said.
"We tend to lean more towards the in-person programming, which unfortunately has all been suspended due to the COVID restrictions," he said.
