Your Voice: Help the MFPL continue its mission

Les Elder

The Milton Free Public Library (“Little Red School House”) is located on half an acre in the center of Milton Mills. The architecture is French Second Empire style with a mansard style roof and dormer windows upstairs. The foundation is brick. The style is unique to Milton Mills - no other buildings in town have the same style - however it was popularly used in public buildings at the time of its construction. There have been no significant exterior renovations other than maintenance (i.e., painting and replacing rotten boards). It contains two rooms downstairs which currently operate as the library. As one enters the building, the first thing seen is a beautiful staircase that branches off in two directions. The upstairs consists of one very large room and a bell tower with a functioning bell. The floors are hardwood and the walls are plaster.

The Little Red School House remains a unique feature of Milton Mills; with its unique architecture of the "Second Empire" style, its bell tower and its central location

If a library is defined as "a building or rooms containing collections of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for people to read, borrow, or refer to" then perhaps the Milton Free Public Library should be renamed Milton Free Public Library and Community Hub. The technology being used at Effingham Public Library is state-of-the-art and a surprising find in the rural setting. There is an open wireless internet connection that requires no password.

The library's website www.miltonfreepubliclibrary.org is a very useful resource that allows users to browse the library's entire collection and reserve books from the comfort of their own home. Users can also make requests for books to be borrowed from other libraries around the State through the interlibrary loan program or access New Hampshire Downloadable Books website. There is also a regularly updated calendar of events for upcoming library programs.

With a dramatic increase in patronage, as well as increase in use as a meeting place for various groups and organizations, it is imperative that an aggressive repair and maintenance program be developed and implemented to save this magnificent building from further decay.  As a center for youth as well as adults, it is a vital part of the Milton Mills/Milton NH infrastructure. 

Preservation is so much more than saving old buildings! Historic preservation champions and protects places that tell the stories of our past.  It enhances our sense of community and brings us closer together: saving the places where we take our children to school, buy our groceries, and stop for coffee – preserving the stories of ancient cultures found in landmarks and landscapes we visit – protecting the memories of people, places, and events honored in our national monuments

We have so many members that use the Library and support our effort for renovations.  A few comments from our loyal patrons need to be shared with the community.

From a patron of Milton Mills: “Small towns need a community space for gathering together and connecting with each other.  There is no coffee shop on the corner with big comfy chairs in Milton Mills.  No cyber café.  The typical community spaces available in the city are just not here.  That is why The Milton Mills Free Public Library IS that space for those of us who live in this remote and rural community.” 

From a Library user of Milton Mills:  “The Milton Free Public Library has prided itself in being just such a symbol for many years. For the last eight years a shining example of this support is the Fan Fiction Contest. Started as a joint project between the English Department of Nute High School and the Milton Free Public Library director, the first contest attracted a mere handful of students. Over the years the contest has gained in popularity and, in total, has garnered over a hundred entries.”

From member of Milton NH: “A library provides the foundation for free speech - one of fundamental ideals this country was founded upon.  The library provides a free and public avenue for people with differing viewpoints and opinions to obtain knowledge and information – supporting the groundwork for the opportunity for lifelong learning for everyone, as well as promoting and supporting democracy. 

The library is the center of a community, a link to generations past in its yellowing pages and holding the promise of future generations in its vast resources.”

From a resident, Milton Mills NH: “The Milton Free Library is housed in the "Little Red Schoolhouse" in Milton Mills.  This library has more than 7,700 books and 1,500 DVDs.  Magazines, audio books, downloadable "e-books" and music are also available to borrow from your library. Last year 3,974 people came through the doors to take advantage of the materials, computers, and services the library offers. The "Little Red Schoolhouse" houses much more than books, however. This building also holds the memories - memories of everyone who went to school in that building, memories of those who taught within the walls, memories of the children who played on the playground, memories of learning to read, memories of parades, memories of summer reading programs, and memories of librarians and parents who watched Milton children grow up.”

From a voter in Milton NH:  “You already know the Milton Free Public Library is a rare architectural gem.  You know it offers the only public meeting space in Milton Mills.  You probably know the Library offers a wide selection of children’s books, fiction and non-fiction, magazine subscriptions, free wi-fi, new computers, inter-library loan service, classes in Yoga, martial arts, a home for knitters to gather, the unemployed or underemployed to job-search, and an amazing DVD and video collection.”

The Friends of the Milton Free Library which is a Non Profit Group is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to assist the Milton Free Public Library in its community cultural programs, to conduct fund raising ventures - proceeds to be donated to the Library for community enrichment, to participate in charitable, non-profit community projects for the betterment of the Milton Community at large, without any limitation because of race, gender, or national origin. Donations to the Friends are welcome to help with the renovations and various other projects. Donations are tax deductible.  The Friends continually hold fundraisers to help support the library programs. If you are interested in joining the Friends of the Library to help, feel free to contact the Library for contact information.

If you haven't been to the library in a while, it is worth the trip. The library is open Tuesday 3:30-7:30 Wednesday noon-7:30 Thursday 10 a.m. -noon, and 3:30-7:30 PM (Story time is Thursday 10:30-11:30) Friday 1:00-7:30PM Saturday 10AM-1PM Sunday and Monday Closed. The library phone number is 473-8535.

The need is there.  Please support the Milton Free Public Library when you go to the polls on 11 March 2014 and vote yes on Warrant Article #25.

- Les Elder

Milton NH