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Amenia Library welcomes new Adult Programming Assistant

Amenia Library welcomes new Adult Programming Assistant

Liz MacQuarrie began her duties as Adult Programming Assistant at the Amenia Free Library in mid-March, has launched creative new programming.

Leila Hawken

AMENIA — New adult programming is coming to the Amenia Free Library, led by Adult Programming Assistant and Millbrook native Liz MacQuarrie.

Since beginning her duties in mid-March, MacQuarrie has been learning the ropes of library procedures. She spoke on Thursday, April 9, about her enthusiasm for serving the community and developing adult programs for library users.

“Libraries are more than just books; they’ve become community gathering places where people come together,” MacQuarrie said.

“Curiosity never stops at a library,” MacQuarrie added, indicating that she intends to bring her own creative ideas to serve patrons.

“Black-out Poetry,” as she calls it, is the first such program that is now available in the library’s reading room. Patrons will find everything they need to transform any block of non-fiction text and blacking out all but a few words to create a poem inspired by those few words, MacQuarrie explained.

The text pages are cut from damaged non-fiction books that were about to be discarded. MacQuarrie’s training in the arts led her to realize that poems might be lurking within the text. The words selected can inspire a poem or be incorporated into a drawing.

A sample is on display, and instructions are provided. MacQuarrie notes that it is a passive program in honor of April being National Poetry Month, and the idea repurposes damaged books as instruments of creativity.

Another program that MacQuarrie is managing will bring periodic visits from the Dutchess County Office of the Aging’s mobile help program. Patrons can sign up for 30-minute appointments to meet with an advisor for help with government programs, including Medicare/Medicaid, and more.

The first scheduled visit will be on Thursday, April 23. For more information about the program, go to the library’s website: www.amenialibrary.org.

“It will save patrons from needing to travel distances to access the help,” MacQuarrie said.

MacQuarrie has earned a B.A. degree in Film Studies from Mt. Holyoke College and has experience in documentaries and commercial applications, as well as past work with WBZ news radio in Boston. Her career has taken her to work with the Milwaukee Film Festival, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

A native of Millbrook, MacQuarrie now resides there with her Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix, Rocko.

“I’m happy to be back home,” MacQuarrie said.

Leila Hawken
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