This will be the chance to rejoice in all the women offered to the people of the Sherrill area, promised current library board President Marge Tornatore.
“We don’t want this to be a eulogy for Kathy or Sandy, but a celebration of the work they did with the children of our community,” Tornatore explained. “They were both teachers and they both spent their lives reaching out to others.”
Library Director Bonnie Unsworth said the renovation project was budgeted at $26,000 and paid for through a grant for $15,000 from the Sherrill-based Gorman Foundation, along with bequests in the memory of Dorman and Throop -- who both passed away last year -- and money from the library's endowment fund. Dorman herself was a major player in the writing of the grant submitted to the Gorman Foundation, Unsworth noted, when the project was begun in 2007.
"We are so excited to dedicate the room to her because this was her vision," Unsworth said.
The “Kathy’s Kids Corner” children’s room now features kid-sized shelving and cozy areas to sit and read. There is a new carpet, and a story hour rug arriving shortly. The lighting is bright, posters decorate the wall, and there is a CD player for the youngsters to listen to while reading their favorite books.
(Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library Director Bonnie Unsworth, left, and Board of Trustees President Marge Tornatore pose in the library's recently renovated children's room on Oct. 4, 2010)
The project is not complete, however. Books will be available through the Colgate Bookstore in Hamilton for purchase at the Open House and left there in the children’s room. Their Wish List includes a large corkboard and a new computer for the kids to use, Unsworth added.
“Kathy was a teacher, a library lover, and a book worm who really connected with the kids and young adults in the community,” she said.
Throop was one of those people who quickly became a friend to everyone she met, Tornatore explained.
“She was a great people person. If you didn’t know her when you arrived at the library, you certainly did by the time you left that day,” she said. “If you were looking for a suggestion for a book to read, she could quickly come up with a list of 10 or more, and they would all be dead on to your interests.”
Dorman was retired from the Durhamville Elementary School, while Throop retired from the Stockbridge Valley Central School, both in Central New York. The women didn’t know each other before they met at the library, and soon became friends, even attending the same book reading group.
Library Aide and artist Emily Swift created the colorful mural along the side of the stairs. She admitted she never actually met Throop, but she came to know her as she painted the homage to the former library staffer. Swift said she submitted her design when she heard the library was looking for a mural that could be a tribute to Throop, and her creation was chosen by the Throop family as the closest representation of her likings.
“I think they liked the whimsical and playful side of it,” Swift said. “The family saw what I had designed and saw the stars and said that she loved astrology … I really got to know a lot about her as I created the mural.”
(Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library Aide Emily Swift puts some finishing touches on the mural she created down the library staircase in memory of former staff member Sandra Throop on Oct. 4, 2010)
There will be a private gathering for the families of Dorman and Throop for an hour preceding the Open House, and the public is invited to come out to the library Oct. 9, 2010 at 11 a.m. for the official dedication and refreshments. The Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library is located at 543 Sherrill Rd. in Sherrill, N.Y. For more information, call (315) 363-5980 or visit their website at: www.midyork.org/sherrill.
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