Belmont Literary & Historical Society Free Library

Dear Patrons of the Belmont Free Library,

            It is with much sorrow and a wounded soul that I am, on October 31^st of 2024, spending my last day as director of the library. Unfortunate circumstances have made it so I can no longer be here. It has been an amazing three years of learning my job and the patrons that make it all possible. It has been an honor to serve you, both well know friends and once in a life time strangers. It has been a joy to have a job where I get to see that every day I make a difference in the lives of those who use the library. I am honored to have been able to give my all to the people. I will miss you all, but you will not be forgotten by me. Your lives and the moments you have shared with me in my position as director will live on as legend in my mind for the rest of my life. It is my upmost hope that whoever should next take charge of the library do so with the same passion and independent spirit which I have employed. I hope that you are all well taken care of, that you find the stories you want and the ones you need. I hope that the library, no matter how many times the face behind the desk may change, will continue to bring you all light and hope in your lives. The library has stood as a community monument to togetherness and learning for 139 years. I am humbled to have been part of three of those wondrous years. Whatever path is before the library, never forget that it is there for you, let your voice be heard and forge onward to the future you seek. I hope to see as many of you patrons as I can before my time is done here. This is my last good-bye, but an end is merely another beginning. When one book closes, a new one opens. Here is to a life of living.

            My deepest apologize and my most hopeful support for your future,

                        Curtis Decker

                        Director of the Belmont Free Library

Please note: This event is for teens and up

There is a poem at the end of Minecraft. A poem for those who have finished the game. Who have taken on all the challenges, the discovery, the failures, and the trying again. The poem is special, it reaches deep into your soul beyond what one would expect from a simple game. You find that there is more intent behind the playing of the game and its creation that you first thought.
This evokes feelings and reflections of the end of things, an important and strange time that we only reach when it occurs and not before. The end is a special time, it comes with peace and clarity. The end often reflects who the person who reaches the end became on their journey. Yet the end also evokes a beginning. That what was has not passed and now what will be becomes what is. We face many ends in our life, some as small as the end of a day, others as big as the end of a school or job. Yet ends lead to beginnings. It is okay to end, if a little scary, but there is more beyond the end. When a book is at its last page and says “the end,” the reader puts the book down, breathes a sigh, and then moves on to a new beginning. Let not endings cause you fear or anxiety, they bring rebirth and new beginnings.

The bee situation is taken care of and the front door of the library is safe once more. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Warning: Our library currently has a large number of bees around the front door. Pest removal has been contacted. Until further notice, please use the ramp and back door for your safety.
~The Director

A view of history through art. How we see the past is influenced by who taught us the past, how we live today, and how we expect tomorrow to be. This video presents the artwork of Thomas Cole and a commentary on the historical themes played out in it.

Smart Snakes with Chad Edwards (Professor Von Scales) will be presenting on:

Monday August 12th from 1pm to 5pm

Upstairs in the Belmont Library. There will be a host of reptiles and arachnids that you can see and interact with under the expert guidance of Professor Von Scales. His goal is to help educate the public on reptiles and arachnids to help destigmatize the irrational fear surrounding these majestic creatures. Meet Black Widows, Scorpions, Bull Snakes, Mexican Red Knee Tarantulas, Gold Ringed Snakes, Bird Snakes, and more with Professor Von Scales!