Margaret Chase Smith Library
Newsletter
A Newsletter for Friends of the Library
Vol. 40, No. 3
After 27 years Dr. David Richards is retiring from the Margaret Chase Smith Library!
This issue of the newsletter is dedicated to him and his career. It was a treat to search our archives and find so many wonderful photos, stories, and antidotes about David as we created this newsletter. Though he will not be in the office everyday, we know he will not be far away. We still plan to see him here for events and programs. The staff is excited for his next adventure and wish him a happy retirement.
Directions
by David Richards
This will be my final “Directions” column. I have had a wonderful twenty-seven-plus-year run at the Margaret Chase Smith Library since arriving in December 1996. Now it’s time to head off into a retirement filled with travel, hiking, and catching up with family and friends, who I have neglected too much while working.
I have enjoyed my time at the Library. I have fond memories of the many school teachers and students, museum and library professionals, and community partners with whom I have worked for nearly three decades. I am grateful for the assistance I have received along the way from Library colleagues, both past and present. I appreciate the support I have gotten from the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation board of directors. Most non-profit directors have to spend much of their time raising money. Because of the Foundation board’s wise and steady stewardship, I have had the luxury to focus on programs and projects.
I have been thinking about when to time my retirement for a while. COVID gave my considerations greater urgency, as it completely disrupted the nature of work at the Library for several years. Ultimately, I opted for an early retirement for two reasons. First, none of us knows how long we have, as I was reminded of when I collided with a moose ten years ago. My second thought was that I didn’t want to hang on just to hit a round number like thirty or reach an established retirement age like sixty-five. I would prefer to retire too early rather than too late.
I am confident that I am leaving the Library at an opportune time and in a good condition. Margaret Chase Smith’s legacy remains strong. During the month of July, we experienced a boom in research activity and averaged about a request a day. This included four people who have expressed interest in writing books related to Senator Smith in some way. That list has since grown to five. In addition, the Library has hosted three events this summer that reassured me that we are getting back to the level of activity we had before the pandemic arrived in March 2020. Community Plate brought together a group of about three dozen people for a potluck dinner and best of all, featured the sort of civil conversation that nourishes civic culture. A few weeks later, we welcomed the Mid-Maine Global Forum. I was heartened to hear how many of the guests were visiting the facility for the first time, were impressed by the history and tidiness of the Library, and vowed to return with family and friends in the future. At the end of August, the Library reprised the annual Margaret Chase Smith Appreciation Day. It drew a large audience of over seventy people to hear Jerri Whitman talk about her exhibit of portraits of women who have served in the Maine Legislature or have represented Maine in Congress, to see Sylvie Jensen’s National History Day exhibit on Joshua Chamberlain and the Battle of Gettysburg, and to wish me farewell. Finally, we received word that the Portland Stage Company would be hosting a production this fall of the play “Conscience,” which focuses on the contentious relationship between Senator Margaret Chase Smith and Senator Joseph McCarthy during the early years of the Cold War.
I attribute the sudden summer surge in interest to our own politically tumultuous times and the antidotes of conscience and civility that are enduring features of Margaret Chase Smith’s legacy. If anyone needs a reminder of what she stood for, I encourage you to read her “Declaration of Conscience,” preferably right before you vote this fall. It has been rewarding to keep the ideals expressed in her historic speech alive for the past twenty-seven years. I wish my successor, Chris O’Brien, and my colleagues success in keeping the legacy alive for many years to come.
The Community Plate Dinner, July 11, 2024.
Margaret Chase Smith Appreciation Day, August 26, 2024.
Mid-Maine Global Forum Reception , July 23, 2024.
Communication Corner
By John Taylor
My wife Amanda and I moved to Maine in December, 2011 after she had been offered a job as an architectural historian in Augusta. A few years prior, in 2009, I left a state job after learning some harsh realities about the working world. For the next few years I took some unsatisfying and rather demoralizing jobs as I continued to search for a career in my chosen profession. When we moved to New England it was a fresh start and I was determined to only accept a job in the humanities.
I came across the Margaret Chase Smith Library in a Maine Frommer’s Travel Book. Since the Senator served in Congress during my period of study I thought I would reach out and volunteer my time until I found a job. I sent an email and very soon I received my first communication from David. From the beginning he was inquisitive, thoughtful, and open to ideas and suggestions. Though at the time I was unfamiliar with the life and legacy of Margaret Chase Smith, David took a chance on me. As a new volunteer I was somewhat surprised and elated that he immediately trusted me to research and create an exhibit for the Library that would celebrate the 50th anniversary of Senator Smith’s run for the presidency.
Soon my volunteer role turned into a temporary position. From there it became permanent. After becoming a fulltime employee I became the State Coordinator for National History Day in Maine. Again, David took a chance on me. Based on my experience with NHD as an intern in grad school, he agreed to have the Library take on the duties of running the program to which I can proudly say has grown immensely and now serves as a model for other affiliates throughout the country.
Throughout my time at this Library David has taken countless chances on me. He’s given me the opportunity to hone my historical skills, learn the process of exhibit design, and sharpen my managerial style. He allowed me to make mistakes, be creative, establish networks for the Library, and find new avenues of historical interpretation. He let this budding historian build my own narrative about the Senator and present it to school groups, museum patrons, and scholars. Most importantly, David provided a positive work environment.
If you have not pieced it together, the theme of my narrative is that David took a chance on me. And for that I am forever grateful. I am absolutely sure I would not be in this profession if he had not provided me with such opportunities. I look to him as a mentor, but more importantly, my wife and I look to him as a friend (I as a colleague and she as a hiking partner). I wish nothing but the best for David. I hope he has a long and fruitful retirement on all the wooded dusty trails he could possibly imagine.
Perfect representation of our mentor/mentee relationship.
David photographed with my wife and sister at the top of Katahdin.
David is always there to lend a helping hand.
learning Lounge
by Kim Nelson
When I think of David, I think of the book group he has facilitated at the Library. I started attending after I did my internship at the facility in 2015. One of those early books I read was about the wildfires in Maine during 1947. It was not something I would have ever chosen but I am glad the book group gave me that opportunity.
My fondest book group memories will always be the ones held during the pandemic. David decided to do a summer book group via Zoom and he focused on local authors from around the Skowhegan area which was challenging as they needed to be accessed via the internet as opposed to the usual physical copy. He succeeded in finding us true gems. It was quite a different experience being located in our own homes holding a book group. It was a small dedicated group of attendees, there were 5 of us most of the time, and we discussed these stories from an earlier time with a mix of curiosity and reminiscent. Before each of these book groups, David would go to the territory of the book to be discussed and would bring back photos and tons of information about these locations. This allowed me to understand the history of the region in better detail than I had previously known.
I think it was the relaxed manner David led the discussions during that stressful time, plus his choice of books, that made it especially enjoyable and something I will always warmly remember.
Let's Talk About It book group.
One of the many readings from
Let's Talk About It.
Let's Talk About It book group.
Research Roundup
by Nicole Potter
When I started at the Margaret Chase Smith Library in June 2021, I already felt welcomed as a new member of the staff. Before starting the position, but after I had signed my contract, I received a package in the mail. I was living in Idaho at the time (I previously worked for The Community Library in Ketchum, ID, as the Regional History Museum Librarian) and I am originally from upstate New York. This is just to provide some context for why I was incredibly excited when a box from Maine Maple Products turned up at my door. Sent by Director David Richards, this gift was the perfect sweet start to my new job at the MCS Library and a helpful reminder of one of the many reasons I was excited to return to the east coast.
David continued to make me feel welcomed as a member of the MCS Library staff after I arrived in Maine. He was always available and eager to answer any of my questions while also giving me room to make the role of Curator of Collections my own. He would help me understand why certain decisions had been made at the MCS Library prior to my arrival while also being open to my suggestions. He challenged me to try creative solutions, explore new partnerships, and push for new processes and programming.
I have now been with the MCS Library for over three years and I feel confident in saying that my beginnings here would not have been the same without the guidance and support of David Richards. His leadership at the MCS Library will have a long legacy both with the organization as a whole and with me as a librarian. I congratulate him on his career and on his retirement!
Trivia night at Bigelow Brewing Company.
Object handling staff training.
Emergency response training.
more salutations from colleagues and friends
Charles L. Cragin - President, Margaret Chase Smith Foundation
I’m reticent to use the word “retirement” thinking about you. Perhaps “turning the page”, “starting a new chapter”, etc. but not “withdrawing”. I recall when you arrived at the library in 1996 as the Assistant Director. At that time the library was owned by Northwood University and the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation, with Mert Henry at its helm, was a funding source. You served as second in command during the Northwood days. In December 2011 the Foundation purchased the Library from Northwood and two things happened. In 2012, the Foundation entered into an agreement with the University of Maine which began operating the Library under the Foundation’s auspices. You became Executive Director of the Library and an employee of the University. During the next 12 years you brought vision, enthusiasm and resilience and delivered daily. There have been many changes at the library in that time and you can be proud of what you accomplished and of the legacy that you leave behind. While a full-time employee of the University, you always found time to assist the Foundation as its members requested information or worked with you to develop operating budgets, fund capital projects and constantly adapt to new technology. My colleagues on the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation Board of Directors join me in thanking you for your tireless service. You have made significant contributions in preserving the legacy of Senator Smith. May you move to your next journey with fair winds and following seas.
Michael J. Quinlan - Treasure/Secretary, margaret Chase Smith F0undation
David, all the best upon your retirement as Director of the Margaret Chase Smith Library. I have enjoyed our interactions involving the Library and will miss working with you. You have been a dedicated and loyal steward of the Library and the legacy of Senator Smith. Here’s to an enjoyable and fulfilling retirement!
Amos Reid - Margaret Chase Smith Library Facilities Maintanence
I came on board at the Margaret Chase Smith Library in 2009 after graduating college and grad school and Dr. David Richards has been a staple here for almost three decades of my life. He usually is the first person to arrive at the facility and the last to leave and besides all of his academic works, leadership, and direction, you would find him outside assisting with keeping the facility and grounds in top shape as well. His contributions to furthering the works and memory of Senator Margaret Chase Smith and his attention to the MCS Library and staff have been exemplary and he will be greatly missed here and in the community. Best wishes for your next adventure!
Angie Stockwell - Former Margaret Chase Smith Library Colleague
David Richards, tall, lanky, witty, brilliant, averse to veggies, loves baseball, loves mousse (not, however, the ones that crash through your car window and break your neck), and although he never knew Margaret Chase Smith, he loved her. Of course. We all did.
Historically, director predecessors, assistant directors, and university administrators were each remarkable in their own way. That said, I had vowed that if David Richards ever left, for whatever reason, I, too, would leave. Having been at the Library for over 37 years, I had pretty much decided I would never again "train" a new director. Not that I actually had any say in such a task, but sharing the ins and outs of the MCS Library with someone new was more than I wanted to tackle.
I'm pretty sure David never called me by my given name but rather I was "Stockwell." I'm unsure if that is politically correct in today's world of "woke," but I never failed to respond as I knew he meant no disrespect. His attention to proper grammar when editing my newsletter effort each quarter was grueling. Lordy, I wanted to strangle him. But I soon reluctantly admitted he was the better grammarian.
But COVID arrived, technology far surpassed my knowledge, and I was old!! Darn, I hate saying that! 37 1/2 years is a long time. So I was the first to retire.
David's appreciation of life changed in 2014, as did the priorities in his life. Now David is off to the mountains. Up one hill, down another and following the paths of which poets write and viewing the vistas unseen by we of lesser stamina. You were and are the best of men, dear David. I can only borrow from Roy Rogers and Dale Evans when I say "Happy Trails to You."
Lynnette King - Former Margaret Chase Smith Library Colleague
The years I worked with David Richards will be remembered very fondly from my perspective. He was my colleague for many years before becoming the Library’s Director. When reflecting upon my time working with him, three words consistently came to mind—dedication, community and thoughtfulness.
David’s dedication to the Margaret Chase Smith Library was evident as he was constantly working to keep her legacy alive both in and out of the Library. It was fun to see him leaving the Library for a speaking engagement with the cardboard cutout of young Margaret in tow ready to bring her to life in the eyes of school children and adults alike. He kept a very busy schedule and seeing his car in the parking lot long after the Library had closed speaks to me of his passion and dedication.
The Library’s programs and events are always well attended but I think part of that success has a lot to do with David personally as much as it does the specific program. He is well known in the Skowhegan community and that is because David is out there constantly supporting other individuals and organizations by attending programs and events in the community and throughout the state. He also brings the community into the Library on a regular basis keeping her name relevant all these years later.
The last word I’ll use to describe David Richards is thoughtful. He is a very thoughtful person and much like Margaret Chase Smith did, he regularly takes the time to hand write letters to people. Not many still do that. He also took the time to speak to individual staff members to perhaps inquire about a family member or an event that was important in their lives which showed me that he genuinely cared about us. We were a very small staff and I think it was definitely more like a family.
I wish him much happiness in retirement. I’m thrilled that something good came out of his devastating encounter with that moose years ago—his passion for hiking. I expect he’ll be spending much of his time in the great outdoors. Congratulations, David!
Vanessa caron - former margaret chase smith colleague
My memories of David Richards, former Boss, co-worker, and friend.
David loved attending National baseball games, which sometimes included feeding hungry Northwood students he met up with along the way; Halloween, (handing out unique treats that included leftover McDonald's fries) trick or treat? ha, ha...; And Christmas; the Grinch movie, unusual gifts and memories of former celebrations included in his cards, typically arriving a day or so after the actual day.
David encouraged me to develop my idea of a summer program for boys and girls, the Skowhegan Girl program based on Senator Smith's time as a young girl growing up in Skowhegan.
And finally, the most difficult "Boss" to give my two week notice to after accepting a management position elsewhere, mainly because he did not believe in cellphones at that time.
A good friend and confidant who deserves a long and healthy retirement. Congratulations!
Rick and Linda Smith - hurricane cleaners
David was a joy to be and work around. He always had a compliment for us whether it was for just the cleaning or when we came in and did the annual carpet cleaning. After, I believe, over 20 years of cleaning the MCS Library, we enjoyed working there. It all started with Linda, Jenny and I and after a while Jenny went on her own to start her child care business. Linda and I continued on until we finally retired in December of 2021. David, you will be missed at the Library. Enjoy your retirement and all your hiking adventures. We hope to cross paths with you somewhere along the way. Happy Retirement from Linda, Jenny and Rick!
David Richards Throughout the Years
Upcoming events
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