Norridgewock library gifted bench for children’s section

A bench was recently donated to the Norridgewock Public Library in memory of Avis Emery. Emery passed away in 2021, after a lifetime lived in Norridgewock. She was a generous patron of the Norridgewock libraries. Submitted photo

The Norridgewock Public Library has been gifted with a new bench for its children’s section in memory of Avis Emery, a lifelong resident of Norridgewock who died in 2021.

Children have been drawn to the bench from the moment it was installed. Stored underneath are preschool books. Young children can explore their choice of book, sitting on the sky-blue cushion, with the sun shining onto the page. An adult has room for a child on each side to read a story, according to a news release from the library.

Children were a great delight to Emery and, according to her obituary, “she always found ways to show that she cared.” It is said that she was an attentive listener who allowed others around her “space to shine.”