Annual Meeting held on December 4, 2023

The Friends of the Hamilton Branch Library held its annual meeting on 4 December 2023.  Branch Manager Renee Marks attended and opened the meeting by outlining her priorities for the branch in the coming year. Renee is particularly interested in making the library a welcoming and secure space for children at all times, especially after school.  The library’s engagement with the children is an essential community service, and she is eager to expand the number of students using the library.  She is also looking for opportunities to promote adult programming, including new book clubs and painting classes. 

This year’s annual meeting was the first since the approval of the by-laws at the previous year’s meeting, which meant it was also the first board meeting to be held after the online election of board members.  The following slate of successful candidates was introduced:

Lou Curran is a retired career City public defender and active peace activist.  He is also a book and library enthusiast with decades of experience organizing book auctions and fundraisers.  Active in his local community, he has initiated and participated in a wide array of community projects, including serving on local Boards. He plans to bring ideas for the Hamilton branch to increase its appeal to seniors. Lou grew up in Teheran, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, and Rome and currently lives part-time in France.  His mottoes are “Occupy High Ground!” and “One World: Leave it Better Than You Found It!” He is happy to serve the Friends as a Board member.

Aviva Klugh is a resident of Beverly Hills and a new member of the Friends of the Hamilton Library Branch. Although new to the neighborhood, Aviva has lived in Baltimore City for almost ten years and has frequented many neighborhood branches and Central Library events.  As a lifelong reader and patron of local libraries, she values the importance of access that libraries provide communities. Aviva is a transportation planning professional with the State and is interested in connectivity, planning, and exploring Maryland’s trail networks in her free time.

Deborah Mason has lived in Mayfield since 2013.  She joined the Friends in 2018 and joined the board in 2019, serving as Secretary.  In addition to helping with Friends programs, Deborah has also written several staff profiles for the newsletter, introducing new Hamilton Branch librarians to the community.  Deborah is originally from Long Island, where she was inculcated with an undying love for books, writing, large dogs, and aloof cats.  A former Maryland Assistant Attorney General and retired high school English teacher, Deborah is a self-employed tutor and writer.  She is also finishing her second term as President of the Mayfield Improvement Association.

A resident of Beverly Hills, Malissa Ruffner has been a Hamilton Branch patron for over 35 years. She began volunteering with the Friends in 2015 and has served as Treasurer and President of the organization. She particularly values the opportunity it offers to meet and work with Northeast neighbors and believes that libraries are essential to healthy communities.  She currently works as a genealogist, with a focus on African American research in Maryland, and in her spare time, enjoys reading (of course!), and playing pickleball.

Derek Simmonsen is a Lauraville resident and current member of the Friends board. You might have seen him selling used books to benefit the Friends at the Lauraville Fair, Tuesday market, or the summer sale at the library. Derek is originally from Pennsylvania and has lived in Baltimore for 15 years. He is an avid reader and has been taking his kids to the Hamilton Branch since they were babies. In his free time, he likes to browse new finds at Snug Books, check out used vinyl at Wax Atlas, and volunteer at Garrett Heights Elementary Middle School, where his kids go to school. Derek is a lawyer in state government and teaches as part of the moot court program at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. 
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Highlights from the year included the very successful used book sale, the popular return of the Banned Book reading at Snug Books, and very well-attended programs presented by Bill Barry and Malissa Ruffner.  One sour note was the destruction of the planters by a reckless driver.  However, there was more than one silver lining:  DOT quickly replaced the planters, there are already plans underway to replace the plants, and the outrage generated by the incident fueled an increase in donations.  To coin a phrase, it’s an ill wind that blows no good.