"When something does not insist on being noticed. . . we take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." - Cynthia Ozick
I believe anyone who knows me knows how I feel about Cynthia Ozick - and maybe that is why this quote resonates so deeply. But, it is true - and so very much so as we consider tomorrow night's celebration to be held here at the Library. It is especially true when it comes to a friend, a Library Board Member, a neighbor and friend to many of you, who due to a work obligation is not in Caldwell and cannot be with us tomorrow night - Bruce White.
It seems like yesterday that Joe and Therese Collerd came to the Library to see Bruce's amazing "Images of Eternity" exhibit he shared with us all in June of 2005. After they enjoyed Bruce's exhibit we proceeded downstairs where they were shown the inner sanctum - the "then" local history room/archives/vault. At that time, Bruce described a vision, a dream, and clearly Joe and Therese along with Gene and Elizabeth Collerd could see that dream as well. It took so much time to get to that point, and then hundreds upon hundreds of hours afterwards to get where we are today.
"The Collerd Collection" would not be what it is, or where it is, without hours and hours of time and expertise and passion shared with all of us by Bruce. The meetings and the telephone and email conversations - innumerable! - and those meetings and conversations involved not just Board Members and Library personnel, they included detailed exchanges with our consulting Archivist Tony Cucchiara, the Collerd family, and then yet another call or email from me! (Sorry Bruce!)
Bruce's vision also came into play with the exhibit and project we will celebrate tomorrow night - "Caldwell: Then and Now." Bruce's patient mentorship and guidance shared with EAGLE SCOUT TO BE Stephen Cristiano and his colleagues created a lasting memorial to our community, a living testament to Gene and Kathryn Collerd. Bruce (and his son, Christopher, and Stephen) hung the display you will enjoy tomorrow night - giving up hours on Halloween to do so. And, beyond that, can we talk about gallery guides? Bruce's input on the gallery guide for this exhibit, as well as the Introductory statement he carefully crafted to orient us to the Exhibit, again, he shows he is as much an artist with his words as he is with his photographer's eye.
(Which is how he created -- along with Gene Collerd -- his derivative exhibit of "Caldwell's Age of Innocence" in 2007, which we unveiled as we celebrated this Carnegie Library's 90th anniversary.
Bruce, I know work calls and you are unable to be with us tomorrow night - but - in addition to the thanks to you that I will share with the community and all gathered tomorrow night I needed to state LOUDLY to you and all, I am so honored to call you my friend, and so deeply appreciative for all you have done, and do, and then continue to do, for the Library, for the community, for Scouting, for your family and friends.
~ Karen (Kleppe Lembo)
Director, Caldwell Public Library
