The Jewel in the Crown – A Closer Look

By Carol Van Why
Our 1666 Coffman Library is a primarily a collection of books, supplemented by a small number of videos and audiobooks.  There is no catalog; instead we arrange books according to broad subject categories or fiction genres.  We post guides showing the arrangement and shelf location on both floors of the library.

The Library Committee encourages everyone to use materials in the library and/or sign them out.  If you wish to sign out items please record them on the “Coffman Library Book Sign Out” sheet located on the large table.  When returning books please cross off your name on the sign out sheet.  Whether you’ve used something in the library or you’ve signed it out and are returning it, please place library materials in the blue plastic bin just inside the library’s second floor entrance.  The bin is clearly marked “Please Return Books to this Bin.”

A Library Committee composed of residents is responsible for the management of the library.  Developing and maintaining the collection is its primary task.  The collection has been developed over the years primarily through residents’ donations.

We add books to the collection if they are likely to appeal to many 1666 readers, are in good physical condition and if non-fiction, are not dated.  If you decide to donate books you may drop them in the cardboard “Donations” box that is located in the closet just inside the door on the library’s lower level.   If you are considering making a large donation please consult with the Chair of the Library Committee beforehand.

The Library Committee meets monthly to evaluate and process new books.  We place new books on the Recent Arrivals shelves just inside the door on the library’s lower level and list them in the eNews.  Check out the Library’s page of the Coffman website to find a cumulative list of books we’ve added to the collection this year.

An article in the February 1986 issue of 1666 Coffman News called our library the “jewel in the crown.”  Twenty-seven years later it’s still one of 1666’s signature spaces.  During the day the bright, airy space invites you to bring your laptop and take advantage of the Wi-Fi.  At night turn on a light or two, curl up in one of the comfy leather chairs and “enter your private, magical world.”

If you’re relatively new to 1666 or you just want to take a closer look at the Library call Carol Van Why to schedule a tour.