Mepham H.S. Library

Library Preservation Project

The cover of the 2010 Scuttlebutt features a photo taken in our beautiful library for two reasons; it serves as a small reminder of the room's grace and grandeur and also commemorates the official kick-off for our latest gift to the building—a preservation project of its beautiful woodwork. Future publications will include more photos of this magnificent and impressive room and we hope to line up a student to document the project's progress (as we did with the mural project).

The work will focus on water and heat damage (around windows and radiation), intensive stripping and cleaning, minimal re-staining and finally, resealing with shellac. Contractors we've consulted are making similar comparison to the mural: in addition to the original quality and craftsmanship, the wood in remarkable condition, its age and use considered! The need for this work was brought to our attention by head custodian, Gino DeClemente (who was instrumental in initiating the mural project as well). Click on picture for larger image.

This endeavor, like the mural project, may draw some criticism in that it is more "maintenance" and less "gift". Please bear in mind that our school district is responsible for the upkeep and improvements to an aging infrastructure that includes seven buildings, all 45+ years and older. We have been told that the school board cannot "play favorites" and must distribute its tax and aid revenue equally. Those readers who still live here are painfully aware of your share of school taxes. The rest of you recognize the effect of state and federal cutbacks on budgets everywhere. When it comes to making a choice between spending money on the kids or certain repairs and improvements, it's obvious what falls by the wayside. We're also fortunate to have a caring custodial staff that takes (almost) as much pride in our alma mater as we do, but Mepham is unique in that we have an active and engaged Alumni Association that is in a position to help.

We're counting on that help once again as we ask you to consider making a special donation to our preservation fund. If you have not renewed your membership for 2010, use the form at http://www.mepham.org/memform.pdf to do so and send a little extra. We hope to be able to move forward with this project in summer 2011.

Frank Setteducati '70

Library Serves As Christy Memorial

The Buccaneer, Vol. I, No. 1, 14 Oct. 1937

The library is dedicated to Mr. William S. Christy, Sr., who worked so faithfully to achieve our central high school. He was the clerk of the first board of education. He died last fall just as work begun on the new building. The walls of the library are done in four shades of yellow, the deepest shade at the bottom giving way to pastel or ivory at the top. This contrasts with the olive of the ceiling. Grill work inside the dome serves as a screen for the ventilator. Tall fluted columns correspond in design to the carving above the shelves. The blue in the sculptured panels corresponds to the blue in the imported Parisian drapes. The charging desk is elliptical. It is made of especially treated oak wood like that of the tables and chairs. It has cash drawers, a removable cover for the charging trays, and shelf-list drawers.

Photo Gallery

Click on pictures to see larger images. Back-arrow to close

		The classrooms of Mepham High School are contained in a U-shaped 3-story section in the rear of the building while the front of the building, shaped like a bird, has a 4-story center section with 2-story wings. The lower half of the center section is the entry foyer of the building while the upper half is the William S. Christy Memorial Library. (1937 photo)
		This photo, from the 1942 yearbook Treasure Chest is a view from the front of the library towards the entrance from the third-floor classroom corridor. Miss Moyle, the Librarian, is seated at the circular desk by the entrance, while students are working at the tables.
		Most of the students work at these two computer stations instead of the tables used years ago.

In the 1960s a home room to the West of the library was converted to be part of the library. Here, in the quiet of the library, the students can use their own computers and connect to the school's WiFi system, as they can throughout the school. The large screen is a SMART Board (an interactive whiteboard), hooked up to a computer and projector. Students and teachers use it as a presentation tool. The room in the back is used by the library assistant, for magazines, yearbooks, bulletin board supplies, etc. our computer tech also sits back there and works on technology-related tasks.
		The cover of Scuttlebutt 2010 was by the winner of our Scuttlebutt Photo Contest.The $200 prize was won by Samantha Ponzio, class of 2012.
		The cover of Scuttlebutt 2003 was by the winner of our Scuttlebutt Photo Contest.The $100 prize was won by Mary Sarsfield, class of 2004. .