Library Milestone Sealed in Time
By Susan Nolan
What’s the best way to celebrate 100 years of service? If you are Anne Arundel County Public Libraries, you do it with a digital facelift and a time capsule.
On Tuesday, December 7, library CEO Skip Auld unveiled the new logo and website, and two families sealed a time capsule to be opened in 25 years.
“One hundred years is a long time to cover, so with the time capsule we focused on what the library has been doing in recent years,” states Kelley Jackson, AACPL marketing and communications specialist. In addition to a scrapbook and materials sporting the library’s logo, the capsule includes newspapers and items commonly found in 2021—hand-sanitizer and a face mask.
According to AACPL Communications Director Christine Feldman, her department received over 600 applications from would-be “Capsule Keepers.” “We were looking for individuals with compelling stories and a direct link to the libraries.”
One such compelling story came from Liz Kupke of Annapolis. She grew up using the West Street branch, recently rebuilt and renamed the Michael E Busch Annapolis Library. “We were there every day, reading the books, the magazines, and using the computers.”
Kupke’s love of the library led her to earn a master’s degree in Library Science. She is now a librarian for the Department of Legislative Services, and she takes her own children, 4-year-old Nathan and 4-month-old Otto, to programs at the library.
On the day of the unveiling, Kupke’s mother, Susan Jacobson was in attendance, too, making it a multigenerational event.
Capsule Keeper Elizabeth Pittman comes from a family of readers. As a high school student growing up in Arnold, she volunteered at the Severna Park branch in the early 2000s. She spent her summers registering children for the summer reading program and handing out prizes. “It was fun encouraging kids to read,” she said. Now, as the mother of 2-year-old Nathaniel, she takes him to library events. “It feels like I’ve come full circle.”
What does a Capsule Keeper do? “We’ve pledged to return in 25 years when the time capsule is opened,” Kupke said. “And in the meantime, we are advocating for libraries.”