The Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library honored two of its volunteers, one a long-time contributor, and one who only recently began offering his services, during its Jingle Mingle holiday celebration last week.
Ron Brown, who has been a library volunteer since 1988 and a Trustee since 1991, was named Trustee of the Year, and Don Rankin, who has assisted with library maintenance and building project since 2017, was named Volunteer of the Year.
Rankin, of Wilton, is a retired building contractor and has assisted the library in changing from incandescent to LED lighting, fixed light timers, cleaned the library furnace room, worked on the library’s heating system, and has weekly taken the library trash to the dump.
This year, when the library built it’s “Smart Space” on the library lawn with assistance from a grant, Rankin built 22 boxes to hold book pages for the library’s new story trail.
“This was a project I had hoped for but knew we could never afford to purchase outright,” Library Director Pat Fickett said. “Don made it possible. He also helped with the outdoor smart space by storing the drums and keyboard at his home during the winter.”
His wife, Nancy Rankin, has also assisted with the story trail and has donated large format books to use in 2019.
Most recently, Rankin has continued to assist with the library maintenance, assisting with air conditioner installation, storm windows, general maintenance, clean outs, running toilets and repairing furniture. He has served as a building consultant, helping evaluate the building for the annual Land and Community Investment Program reporting and prioritizing the work to be done.
Brown is the current chair of the library’s Board of Trustees, but he has a long history of volunteerism at the library. He began volunteering in 1988, working the circulation desk, shelving books, and sorting magazines.
“The level of usage is way higher now than it was in those years,” Brown said.
Brown became more directly involved in the library in 1991, when he joined the Board of Trustees and has served continuously ever since, becoming chair in 2011.
Brown has been instrumental in several of the library’s projects, including the move to a computerized catalog in the late 1990s, a major renovation of the library in advance of its Centennial in 2008, the difficult repair and renovation of the building’s antiquated drainage and sewage systems in 2016, and the recent renovation of the children’s areas and the creation of a new outdoor space.
Brown says his favorite thing is the community of people who work at and use the library. Without them, “it would just be a building. It’s the people who make it a library. If you don’t find me at home, you’ll find me here.”
“As a library director I couldn’t ask for a better leader,” Fickett said. “Ron has consistently provided me with support and been receptive to the changes I have suggested. His regard for the library staff is apparent, and he takes the time to get to know each staff member and their concerns. His concern for the people of the library, the operation of the library and library’s place in the community is always crystal clear.”
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com.