My Mother Was a Library Archives Volunteer. She was Treated Unfairly

My mother lived in Lexington for 46 years. She raised her family there, and cared for my father there until he passed. She was part of a close-knit community. So making the decision to move to Newburyport was not an easy or simple one, especially knowing that her home, my childhood home, would be torn down. But ultimately she made the move in 2015, for me. To be close to me and my family.

She knew that she wanted to have her own life here, her own activities, interests, and friendships. It took some time, but not much, because my mother is very friendly and outgoing. The first place in town to really grab her interest was the library archives. She’s always had a passion for genealogy and local history, and everyone there was so welcoming. My mother was a regular patron in the archives for about a year before the Archival Director Sharon Spieldenner offered her a weekly slot as an archive volunteer. I remember how excited she was, like she’d been offered the best job in the world.

Our family quickly learned that my mother was not available on Fridays from 9-12. Any other time she would do anything for you, but 9-12 on Fridays was for the archives. She made friends there. She learned stories from Newburyport’s history. She had a real purpose that was all her own, after so many years as a caregiver.

Then came “the pause” in June of 2023. The infamous letter signed by 14 librarians. My mother and the other volunteers were accused of carrying out a “prolonged campaign of bullying against our Head Librarian, Sara Kelso, which ultimately resulted in her resignation.” This letter caused the Mayor to shut down the volunteer program in the archives. The details of this letter were presented as fact, over and over again, in The Daily News.

Dave Rogers (From the Editor: An unlikely place for a turf war, June 14, 2023) wrote, “For volunteers to disrupt the entire department, and that’s what they’re doing … is overkill to the max and a disservice to the community. … In addition to dealing with the pending complaint involving the librarians union, Reardon needs to make sure the atmosphere inside the building isn’t toxic. And that won’t happen with volunteers still in the building.”

The library volunteers wrote their own letter in their defense, which was printed on page 12 and got no traction. Not even when they sent it to the Mayor’s office, City Council, and the Library Board. No one was willing to help them or believe them until finally the City Council agreed to an independent investigation in July 2024.

And now, nearly two years later, we finally have proof that the volunteers did nothing wrong. Only a brief conclusion has been released so far, but it’s enough to see the utter injustice of it all. I’m not sure I will ever be able to understand why my mother was subjected to an un-American “guilty until proven innocent” nightmare for the past two years.

From the report conclusion: “Having considered all the evidence, I conclude that Newburyport archive volunteers and patrons have been unfairly dismissed and defamed in public, including in the local newspaper, and that the actions and inaction of the City, through the Mayor, the Mayor’s [former] Chief of Staff and the Human Resources Director, directly contributed to or created the situation that allowed for this dismissal and defamation.”

I feel badly, knowing that she moved to Newburyport for me, only to have this happen to her. Now that the truth is finally coming out, I hope that she can heal and move on. This is my hope for all the former archive volunteers, that they can bring their love of history and community to the Museum of Old Newbury, the Custom House Maritime Museum, and Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm. Thankfully there are some great places for history lovers here in Newburyport, but sadly, the Library Archives is no longer one of them.

Sarah Hall
Newburyport resident

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