Peterborough Town Library Trustees announced plans Thursday to honor Jim Grant’s memory and his contribution to children’s literacy by raising $25,000 to name the children’s collection in the new library in his honor.
“I am delighted the children’s collection will be named for Jim,” Peterborough Library Director Corinne Chronopoulos said at the reception.
A longtime Peterborough resident, Grant died in July 2016 at the age of 74 leaving an indelible mark upon the community through his community service and professional life that often intertwined.
He began his career as a teacher at Dublin Elementary School and later became the teaching principal at Temple Elementary School.
Fueled by his desire “to create classrooms where all students can succeed,” in 1985, he and his wife Lillian started a company called Jim Grant Associates in their home, which focused on educational conferences and seminars. The company grew into what is known today as Staff Development for Educators.
He also started the Monadnock Worksource program in the 1960s and was the town’s longest serving firefighter.
Along with wanting children to succeed in the classroom, Grant also expressed a great concern in his life for the “working poor.” Grant headed Peterborough’s Salvation Army and enlisted SDE employees to also volunteer for the Salvation Army. He also co-founded the Peterborough Sunshine Fund in 2009. The fund continues to provide emergency relief for residents in need of financial help to pay for expenses such as car repairs, dental work or gasoline stipends to drive to medical appointments.
“He served on many committees and was one of the best cheerleaders and advocates for Peterborough,” said library trustee Debra Caplan at the reception Thursday.
Grant was involved with so many aspects of the town, she said, she “came to think of Jim as the unofficial mayor of Peterborough.”
As an SDE employee, Caplan said, Grant encouraged her to volunteer at the library.
“I often think of Jim as I go around town and I attribute my involvement here at the library and the effort to both renovate and create a new one directly to him. He was a lifelong champion of education and children’s literacy and our goal to raise the funds to name the children’s collection after Jim, I can think of no better way of honoring him.”
Lillian Grant said that Thursday’s reception would have been Jim’s “cup of tea.”
“Jim would be so happy because he loved the library and he loved anything that helps kids do better in school and have a better home life,” she said. “This would just be his cup of tea. I’m just sorry he had to leave so early.”
Donations to the Jim Grant Children’s Collection naming opportunity may be made to the Peterborough Library Campaign at 2 Concord Street, Peterborough, NH 03458.