By Victoria Pavlock
Do you ever find yourself in a situation and think, “I wish this is something I would have been taught in school”? Do you ever imagine about the “ifs” in life and wonder how you would handle them? Well, the Ashville Library definitely has some of your answers in an upcoming arrangement of meetings. “The Basics of Everything You Never Learned in School… But Wished you Had” is the title of the event that Kristina Benson, a librarian of the Ashville Library, has put together. The idea came about for the library when they asked themselves the question, “How can we be a place for the community to get together and share a space of knowledge?”-Kristina Benson. The library was able to analyze those around them who have displayed a variety of interesting skills that could be useful for any person in their day-to-day life. Benson decided to make a post on Facebook asking the community what things they wish they would have learned in school but didn’t. Receiving feedback with so many great ideas, Benson was able to make the go ahead and put this idea into action.
These meetings will be held on Tuesdays, from 6pm-7pm, at the Ashville Library in the community room. Members throughout the community have volunteered an hour of their time to speak on a very wide variety of topics. They will share their skills and expertise on certain subjects in hopes to leave a positive and beneficial impact on the rest of their community. The first event is to be held on May 2nd, 2023. Probate, living wills, and estate planning are the topics of conversation given by Fessenden, Laumer, and DeAngelo, a local law firm in Jamestown. Following this meeting, you can see future Tuesdays at the library discussing yoga for life long health, coping with grief and change with creative practices, meditation and mindfulness, LGBTQ+ Etiquette, etc.
Kristina Benson stated in an interview, “We are actually very hopeful that this becomes a regular Tuesday night event.” The goal that Kristina Benson, along with the rest of the Ashville Library, has for the project exceeds the few Tuesday night meetings already scheduled. Any member of our local area is welcomed to not only attend these events, but also have the opportunity to speak at them. Registration is available for anyone who has a skill they feel should be shared with as much of the community as possible. “Some future ideas could also include the younger generations such as tips on how to write a college essay…”-Kristina Benson. (The Publisher of The Villager suggests learning taxes and how to balance a checkbook among upcoming discussions.) The library also has the ambition to target all age groups and would like to introduce meetings that could potentially lend a hand to the younger community.
No fee is required to attend or speak at any of the events the library is offering. The ultimate goal is to share the community’s knowledge and learn new techniques, habits, and life skills that you may not have even thought of acquiring.
Being present within our community and giving back to it is something society will forever cherish. The intention that these volunteers have to spread wisdom to others is something that should not go unnoticed. This gracious offer from the Ashville library and local influences from numerous establishments in the area truly displays the etiquette that all communities strive for. With all of this being said, the events that will be held on Tuesday nights from 6pm-7pm at the Ashville Library starting on May 2nd, 2023 have a great intent and are a great way to learn something new or even connect you with people in your local community! To find first-hand information on this event, the Facebook page AshvilleLibrary is a great place to check out. You can also find information on their webpage, www.ashvillelibrary.com.