Library Awarded Check from North Easton Savings Bank

was awarded a check for almost $7,000 yesterday.

Bob Berg, treasurer and vice president at and Pat Polio of the Norton branch presented the check of $6,995 to head librarian Lee Parker.

The bank voted on it at their last board meeting. They found out about the need from Berg, who is also treasurer of the Norton Public Library Board of Directors.

“We support a lot of community activities,” Berg said. “And the library is the center of town.”

This money will go towards a new phone system, something Parker said has been needed for a while. The library currently has analog phones that are at least 20 years old. They have been unable to remove names of employees who have not worked there for years, or change the initial message people receive when calling the library.

The library is one of the only departments in town not part of the new ICP VoIP/IP phones connected to the Norton Police Department. This donation will allow the library to be part of the system, getting cat5 wiring and new IP phones. VoIP technology allows telephone calls to be made over an IP network such as the Internet instead of the ordinary Public switched telephone network system. Calls can traverse the Internet, or a private IP network. It will also have caller ID.

The library was initially going to use funds they had for the phone system. Now that money will go toward other building issues that need to be addressed.

“There’s always something,” Parker said.

This isn’t the first time North Easton Savings Bank has come to the aid of the library. About 13 years ago they paid for the gazebo in Library Park and sponsor the .

“I appreciate the generosity of North Easton Savings Bank, thanks to Bob Berg's efforts, especially at this time, with the demand and use of library services growing, and the financial struggles we have had over the past few years,” Lee said. “N.E.S.B. has consistently shown incredible support to the town, and to the library, and I am so grateful that they recognized the need and came forward to fund the phone system.”