On March 18 from 5:30-7 p.m. the Schoolcraft Community Library will host an open house and book signing. Bill Truesdell author of “Giants at Work: The Journey of the Schoolcraft Community Library” will be present to sign his book.
In his book Bill expertly weaves the story of the formation of the Schoolcraft Ladies Library Association in 1879 to the building of the library in 1991 to the opening of a 4,091-square-foot addition to the library in October 2011.
“The story of Schoolcraft and its library is a tale of giants at work.
You would be hard-pressed to pick these giants out of a crowd because they look like the rest of us. They have hands and feet of average size. When they speak, no dishes rattle in the cupboards. Some of them are slender and frail. Others are bent with age, unassuming and reserved. You see, what they do makes them giants, not who they are.”
He tells the story of many giants who made sure there was an excellent library in Schoolcraft. People like Nancy Rafferty, who took a petition to put a library millage on the ballot, to a Schoolcraft High School basketball game to corral signers, and then served as president of the Library Board for years. Giants like Bobbi Truesdell who overcame her sense of inadequacy in administrative skills to become a much-beloved director of the library, spearheading the efforts to expand the library in 2011. She even stayed on the roof of the library for 24 hours to raise awareness and money for the project. Or Bob Crissman, retired Schoolcraft High School building trades instructor, who became general contractor for the building addition. Bob made use of all his contacts in the industry and 3 decades worth of students to organize a volunteer army that Bob estimates contributed about $200,000 of in-kind work. It was poetically appropriate that as a member of the winning Battle of the Books team, his granddaughter Brooke helped cut the ribbon at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“Giants at Work: The Journey of the Schoolcraft Community Library.”
The book is engagingly organized with many photos and brief sidebars. The book not only details the proud history of the library but how ordinary people become giants who make the world better. It is inspiring.
“Giants at Work” is available for purchase at the Schoolcraft Community Library and Gilbert and Ivy in Vicksburg. All are welcome to attend the open house and book signing March 18 at the Schoolcraft Community Library.
