RJ's Story
In the fall of 2003 a 10-year-old boy decided that Rollinsford needed a library. He wrote to the editor of a local paper, but the letter didn’t get published, probably because it was not legible and did not have a phone number included. Next, the boy wrote to President Bush and asked him to help him raise money for a library. This time he wrote the letter on his computer. In his letter, he suggested that the mills would be a good place for the library, “The old mills in Rollinsford are back in business. Not making cloth but art and dance studios and stuff like that. I think that the mills will be a good place for the library.”
After weeks of checking the mail at the post office, shortly before Christmas an envelope from the White House finally arrived. The letter encouraged the boy to keep on working for his community but did not mention the library. The boy continued to think about how to get a library for Rollinsford and to talk to everyone who would listen. He was certain that there would be a library before he was 20. In March of 2004, he managed to be recognized at the very end of the annual town meeting and said, “My name is RJ and I think that Rollinsford should have a library.” The audience applauded and the meeting adjourned.
RJ continued to talk to people, both kids and grownups, about a library for Rollinsford. In September 2004, the Dover Community News had an article about RJ’s community volunteer activities and it mentioned his dream of a library. Because of that story, WMUR broadcast a short news story; Elementary Student Heads Campaign to Build Library, and community support for the library began to grow. Students at the Rollinsford Grade School, unbeknownst to RJ, planned a bake sale for the library. A yard sale was held. Petitions were signed. In November, Friends of the Rollinsford Public Library was created and the momentum began to build.
In October 2005, the Friends published a cookbook, Flavors from Far and Near. Initially, the cookbook was going to be composed of recipes from members of the community and chefs from regional restaurants. RJ offered to write to well-know people and he received recipes from President Carter, Governor Lynch, Tomie dePaola, Stephen King, Janet Evanovich, Jan Brett, Buckwheat Zydeco, Marie Harris, Marcia Ball, Mary Ann Esposito, Ralph Fletcher, Mimi White, General Wesley Clark, Congressman Jeb Bradley, Former Governor Stephen Merrill, and Senators Gregg, Sununu, Kerry, Edwards, and Lieberman. While the cookbook was a very successful fundraiser, even more importantly, it brought a great deal of attention to the drive for a library.
For almost three years, the Friends raised money and explored a number of options for a home for a library. In cooperation with the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History, the Friends published a reprint of an old book about the history of Rollinsford. A Texas Hold’em Tournament was sponsored and a second cookbook was published, Flavors from Far and Near, Second Helping. Just as for the first cookbook, RJ wrote lots of letters and collected recipes from 47 governors, Senator Obama, Senator Kennedy, Senator McCain, Former Governor Jeanne Shaheen, Lois Lowry, J A Jance, Catherine Coulter, James Rollins, Dave Barry, Branford Marsalis, Judy Blume, Donna Brazile, Tomie dePaola, Eric Carle, Julie Garwood, T.A. Barron, Anne Rice, Sue Grafton, Julie Smith and others. President Clinton wrote a supportive letter. Dan Brown sent a $500 donation and autographed books. P R. Naylor donated books instead of a recipe.
In September 2007, the library found a home. The owners of the renovated mills in Rollinsford, Cutter Family Properties, offered free space for the library on the bottom floor of the Lower Mill overlooking the Salmon Falls River. Ironically, the home for the library turned out to be in very place that RJ had first suggested years before.
The current library campaign is only the most recent. Since 1840 (167 years!), there have been numerous attempts by both formal and informal Friends groups to establish a library in Rollinsford. Now our town is on the verge of realizing the dreams, not only of RJ and the other children of Rollinsford, but of all those dedicated people who have labored over the years to bring a library to Rollinsford. The library has a home, the renovations are almost complete, the new carpet has been laid, the shelves are up, the cataloging of donated books is proceeding, and fundraising is continuing.
RJ continues to be very involved. He has distributed flyers, served on the board of the Friends as a student representative since its beginning and sold many copies of the cookbooks at various events in Rollinsford, neighboring towns and even in other states. Recently, he has been cataloging books. RJ was always certain that his dream of a library would come true before he was 20. The Friends and the other supporters of the library, not only from Rollinsford but from around the country, agreed and made it happen. RJ is now 14 and the library will open very soon. With his dream coming true, RJ is looking forward to working in the library as a volunteer and helping it to grow even more.
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