Residents Celebrate Morrill Library's Renovation, History

The Morrill Memorial Library has seen many changes in its time, spanning more than a century in the community.

A gift to the town in 1898, the library has evolved with modern times and residents came together Sunday to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its renovation.

The original building — small in size compared to the building today — gained a rear wing in 1928, said Charlotte Canelli, the library's director. A front wing was added in 1965, paving the way for full modernization of the building when it was gutted in 1999 and completed June 2001.

"There are people who have never been in, and we wanted to have them come in … and see the beauty of the library as it has been renovated," Canelli said.

Festivities Sunday included public history tours of the building, music and children's entertainment.

When the most recent renovations began, Norwood resident Caroline Pannes noticed workers peeling tiles off the roof one morning and tossing them in the dumpster.

"I thought something can be done with them – I'm an artist — to raise money for the restoration," she said. "You have to think outside the box."

Her effort to pay tribute to the library didn't go unnoticed. Seeing the old, historic tiles being treated like trash a decade ago turned into about $5,000 - first for the building restoration fund, now for the Friends of the Library group.

The non-profit group uses its funding to pay for programs during the year, media for the children's room and other products.

"It's … about us being asset-gathering and turning around and using 100 percent (of the donations) for the good of the community," said Dan Corzilius, president of the group.

Norwood residents Frank and Joan McDermott attended the events Sunday and credited the library's outreach programs for having a large presence in the community.

"Frank has a computer club (at the Norwood Senior Center), and one of the librarians is going to speak to the club," Joan said. "Seniors need to keep up-to-date — they're way behind."

With multiple renovations leading up to the 21st century and its community programs, the library always will evolve with residents' needs, Canelli said.

"The town is so lucky to have such a beautiful library that has spanned 112 years and will continue in this state for quite a while," she said.

To check out historic images of the library and its artifacts, visit the library's history blog. Also, painted building tiles can be purchased at the library, starting at $35 each.