Richford Carpenter Surveys the Community Board Before Measuring for Its Replacement

RICHFORD, Vermont — He didn't pull out the measuring tape right away.

The carpenter hired to install permanent corkboard surfaces at the Richford Public Library arrived Tuesday afternoon, introduced himself to staff, and then stood for several minutes in front of the existing community board — reading it. Only after that did the tape come out.

Colette Aubin-Roy, who works at the library and has been the de facto point of contact on the project, said she found the moment telling.

"He wanted to understand what the board actually does before he figured out how to build it," she said. "That felt right to us."

The visit confirmed the scope of a project that has been in the works for some time: a three-wall installation of permanent corkboard surfaces, replacing the current patchwork of bulletin boards and painted sections that have served the library through years of heavier use than they were ever meant to handle. The Richford library's community board has become something of a fixture in town — a physical inbox for lost-cat notices, seed swaps, town meeting reminders, and the occasional hand-drawn thank-you note.

No installation date has been set. Aubin-Roy said the carpenter indicated the work could begin within the first two weeks of May, depending on materials and his existing commitments. "He wasn't making promises," she said, "which I appreciated."

For now, the old board holds its post.