Every Tuesday and Thursday around 11 a.m., a small group gathers for tea at the Keene Valley Library.
They sit at a long, well-worn wooden table and drink from an assortment of mugs.
On one July morning, someone brought a birthday cake and carrots with dip. An aging husky wandered and sniffed for crumbs. Karen Glass, the library’s longtime director, grabbed the kettle and poured a cup for a newcomer.
Teatime began about a decade ago, as a gathering for library staff. But it quickly evolved, and any visitors are welcomed to join the cozy meetup in the library’s wood-paneled front room, which has the look and feel of a camp lodge.
“People who don’t have a chance to socialize or meet anybody, they can come to the library,” said Glass, a spirited and outgoing woman with a splash of purple in her hair. “People who are struggling, who have memory issues, or they’ve been in the hospital, they know they can find somebody to talk to.”
“It’s part of the job, just to be with people,” Glass said.
This combination of fun, learning and aid is typical of libraries in the 21st century, with
