Our Library's Women in History

Lora Hussey as a young woman

The Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library in Zionsville, Indiana has a rich history through its 50 years of existence and claims two women as its founding matriarchs:  Lora Hussey, whose generosity helped create the Library and Lora’s cousin, Olive Hoffman, who helped make Lora’s dream become a reality.  A third woman, Mary Mayfield, was a longtime Friend of the Library and contributed not only with her time and talent, but also provided treasure upon her death.

Lora Hussey, the only child of Milton and Ella Hoffman Hussey, was born in 1888.  Lora graduated from Zionsville High School and Butler University in Indianapolis and began her teaching career in Johnson County, IN; she taught in various schools and colleges, culminating in her final position in New York City.  Lora never married and retired to the family home in Zionsville, IN at the time of her father’s death.

The Hussey family home, which served as the Library for 31 years

She inherited her parents’ home, which included a house and 4 adjacent pieces of property as well as the family farm in Hamilton County, IN, upon her mother’s death. 

Lora passed away in 1957, and her lifelong love of learning and children dictated the direction of her will which stated, “ [I] bequeath to the town of Zionsville in Boone County, Indiana, our home and place of residence on Hawthorne Street in the town of Zionsville on condition that the town of Zionsville, will appoint a library board and equip said residence property as a public library and maintain the same as a library for the use of the public.  Such library is to be known as the HUSSEY MEMORIAL LIBRARY.”

Lora Hussey late in life

Some Hoffman relatives contested Lora’s will and Olive Hoffman, Lora’s first cousin, and a staunch supporter of Lora’s dream for her family home, fought off the relatives. Eventually, after two years in the courts, the lawsuit was settled and Lora’s dream for a public library in her home could proceed.  It took more than five years from Lora’s death in April 1957 for the Hussey Memorial Library to open in the Hussey home on August 5, 1962.  Olive, while never a member of the Library Board, was heavily involved in making sure that the plans for “Lora’s Library” stayed on track.  Most of Lora’s personal library, in addition to other donations, was cataloged and placed on the shelves for opening day.

Olive Hoffman

Olive wrote newsy “dittoed” letters to friends and family each of the first six years the privately-endowed Hussey Memorial Library was open, reporting on the Library’s activities, its circulation, card holder numbers, programs, involvement and support by volunteers, etc.   Olive, who also never married, continued to stay interested and supportive of “Lora’s Library” until her death in February 1993; she gave the bulk of her estate to the Library upon her death. 

By this time, the Hussey Memorial Library, in its need for more funding to support a growing community, had become a “true” public tax--supported library in 1989  and was renamed the Hussey Memorial Public Library.

We would be remiss if we did not mention a third woman who contributed both monetarily and actively as a Friend of the Library.  Mary Mayfield was one of the first Friends of the Hussey Memorial Library, a group formed in 1978, and her husband, Jim Mayfield, approached the Library Board in 1990 with the desire to give a substantial sum of money to the Library in memory of his wife, Mary, who had passed away. 

 

Mary Mayfield

The Library Board voted to accept this generous gift and to add the Mayfield name to the Library’s name.    Using the generous donations of these three matriarchs, the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library Foundation, Inc. was created in the 1990s and today provides funding for the Library’s needs above and beyond those provided in the operating budget.







The Library is no longer housed in the 1400 sq. ft. Hussey home on Hawthorne Street.  A new 25,000 sq. ft. building on three floors was built about eight blocks away on Fifth Street and opened in 1994. An expansion was added in 2006, bringing the current total square footage to over 53,000.  

Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library in 2012

Without the generosity and foresight of our benefactors, our Library would not be the success that it is today.  Lora Hussey, Olive Hoffman and Mary Mayfield would be proud of the legacy they have left the residents of Zionsville, Indiana.

Belly up to the "Barre"?

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Have you heard of barre workouts?  For most of us this evokes long-legged dancers stretching at a ballet barre in a studio with a lot of mirrors.  But what are these DVDs all about, and can the average exerciser do them safely?  

In most of these DVDs, the instructors advise you to use a sturdy chair instead of a ballet barre.  There’s no need to invest money in a barre just to try out the method.  The main sections of the workouts use the barre/chair for support as you perform lower body exercises.  The focus is to do these exercises so you can get “legs like a dancer.”  But, you do not dance in these workouts.  You also don't need a lot of flexibility (although it is nice to have) to perform the exercises. 

In addition to the main lower-body work, these DVDs usually include a full-body warm up, and end with abdominal work and stretching.  It is not strictly aerobic, but your heart rate does increase, especially during the lower-body work.  In addition to the chair, you will want to have light hand weights, a mat and a small playground ball for these workouts.

“Burn at the Barre” was designed by a chiropractor and a dancer.  This is a good workout for your first time, as it has beginner, intermediate and advanced demonstrators.  In addition to the description above, it includes a decent upper body section using hand weights.  Because Chiropractor Andromeda Trumbull is co-creator of the DVD, you can be assured that they teach proper alignment to keep your spine safe throughout.

“Pure Barre” comes from former dancer and Lotte Berk Method instructor, Carrie Rezabek.  We have three of these DVDs, and each follows the same basic format.  The warm up includes push-ups, planks and triceps push-ups.  She then goes to two sets of thigh work, followed by two sets of alternating hamstring work.  Her workouts are no-nonsense, and she is very good at keeping the workout flowing with very detailed cuing.

Another developer of barre-style workouts is the husband-wife team of Elizabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito.  They also come from the dance and Lotte Berk world.  The workouts are named after their Exhale Spa in New York.  We have several of their DVDs, and they have the most variety of exercise, from cardio to Pilates to body sculpting.  These are a good option if you don’t have a lot of time, as each DVD is broken up into several 10 minute sections.

These DVDs make exercise that was only available to dancers a good option for the home exerciser.   You don’t need dance experience to give them a try.  But, you might find that there’s a dancer in you after all.

Spring Cleaning

I can’t wait to start my spring cleaning.  Don’t get me wrong, I hate to clean (ask my husband).  In fact, I’m a distinguished graduate of the “lick and promise” school of domestic science.   Still, this past winter has dragged on so long, I’m ready to get down and dirty.  Gardeners eagerly anticipate the final freeze date; I can't wait until Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, April 27.  On this day between 9 AM and 2 PM, I (and other Boone County residents) can take my toxic, flammable, and corrosive chemicals to the Boone County Solid Waste Management District Office at 416 W. Camp Street in Lebanon, and they'll dispose of them.

I’ve been reading up on how to fight dirt, clutter and mold.  I started with SoulSpace: Transform Your Home, Transform Your Life.  The title alone sent tidy shivers up my spine.  Transform my life? SoulSpace was a good start:  thoughtful, informative, and, believe it or not, eerie.  Author Xorin Balbes was forced to perform a cleansing ritual after discovering the house he had purchased was the site of a grisly murder.  (Really!  It's documented in Steve Hodel’s Black Dahlia Avenger.)

I then moved on to Spring Cleaning: The Spirit of Keeping Home.  Spring Cleaning is very short (less than 90 pages), but attractively packaged with good advice for cleaning every corner of your home.  From there I dipped into Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life and let author Gail Blanke cleverly coach me on how to eliminate my life’s “plaque.”  Still on my "to read" list is What's an Organized Person to Do? 317 Ideas, Tips, and Lists to Unclutter Your Home and Streamline Your Life by Stacey Platt.  After that, I should be ready for The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Garage and Yard Sales by Cathy Pedigo and Sonia Weiss and The Essential Guide to a Successful Garage Sale by Bryan J. Mangam, two helpful primers on staging a successful yard sale.

Spring is at the Library!

The snow on the ground doesn’t fool us; we know Spring Break is right around the corner!
Load up on audiobooks, books, and movies for your trip.  Don't forget about downloadable books, too!

If you aren’t headed anywhere for Spring Break, you can make the Library your Spring Break destination, we have lots going on for kids!  The highlights are below, check out our calendar to register for events.

March 30: Drop-in Craft (9:30-5:00)

March 31: Library Closed

April 1: Spring Break Movie, 10:30 AM

April 2: Toddler Time, 9:45 AM

             Paws to Read, 4:00 PM

April 3: Karaoke, 2:30 PM

April 4: Sight Word Bingo for ages 4-7, 10:30

April 5: Spring Break Movie, 10:30 AM

Last weekend for Youth Art Month at the Library!

March is Youth Art Month, and Art has been in the air at the Library!  The Zionsville Community School art teachers have worked hard to display student art around town, and this is the last weekend that the student Art will be displayed at the Library, so come and take a peek!

Children, ages 8-12, also have one more opportunity to take part in a free art class at the Library Saturday, March 23 at 2:00 PM.  Staff from the Sullivan-Munce Cultural Center will come to the Library and explore the art of Alexander Calder by making a mobile with wire, beads, buttons and more.  There are still a few spots available, please register.

The ZCS art teachers have worked extremely hard to celebrate Youth Art Month!  The teachers, along with other community artists have put on free art programs every Saturday in March at the Library, what a special way to celebrate all month long! 

We would like to extend a special thanks to the ZCS teachers for sponsoring an art community service project; and to MyArt (formerly Monart) who helped the kids create unique colorful animal pictures inspired by the art of Laurel Burch; and to A Space to Create, who taught kids about Picasso’s blue period; and finally, to Sullivan Munce Cultural Center for sponsoring the Alexander Calder program.

Shutterbug Nation

We've come a long way from this vintage Brownie camera.  Facebook, smart phones and instagram have turned us all into photographers.  We can instantly take pictures and videos and share them with the world.  If you want to improve the quality of your pictures, our photography section is a wealth of information about this ever-changing art form.  

 You can learn techniques from teachers such as Tom Ang, John Hedgecoe and Rick Sammon.  If you are interested in looking at great photography we have collections from Life and National Geographic.  We also have books on renowned photographers such as Anne Geddes, Annie Leibovitz and Ansel Adams. 

You can find books on composition and lighting.  If you are a professional, we can help you with tips on building a successful business.  You could also benefit from browsing through volumes on photographing weddings, children and families.

Just for fun, we have Awkward Family Photos and Carl Warner's Food Landscapes. 

Whatever your interest in photography, take a look, we may have what you need to take your photography to the next level.  And remember to smile, you never know when your picture is being taken.

Teen Job Search Series

Whether you are a student or not, the job market is not always easy to navigate.  With only a small number of jobs available and a lot of people competing for those jobs, how you do stand out as the best candidate?  For the first time ever, the Library is offering a Teen Job Search Series.  Sorry parents, but this is open only to students.  While it is not a job fair, this two part program will start with an expert from IUPUI coming in and showing first time job hunters how to be the most appealing person.  A week later, local business managers and owners will stop in for an open forum to help answer any questions you may have and help guide you on how to tone your interview skills to help employers see your true potential.  How Do I Start? is on Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m.  Landing the Right Job for You is Wednesday, March 27 also at 6:30 p.m.  Yes, these are prior to Spring Break, but area business will likely conduct interviews in April, hire early May and begin training to have you ready for the summer rush.  Registration is recommended and again, this program is for students only.  Don't miss your chance to help market yourself and make other people realize that you truly are the best person for the job.

Finally, Fox Forever!

Perhaps you or a loved one visited the Library on the first Wednesday of November 2012.   It was one of those days where the Library definitely was not a quiet place.  There were more than 70 teens who screamed for pizza and then eagerly stood in line for a book signing.  The book is The Adoration of Jenna Fox and the author is Mary Pearson.  This is the first of three books in the science fiction trilogy where the technology exists to upload a person's mind onto a computer and then download the memories and knowledge (along with any new knowledge) into an artificially created body.  In the book, this technology is illegal, but that doesn't stop parents from extending the life of their daughter after a horrible accident.  Book two, The Fox Inheritance, is a completely different feel from book one.  Book two reads more like the movie "I, Robot."  And book three?  This is yet to be discovered by readers of Zionsville (except for the two lucky teens who won advance reader's copies, four months before the book came out) as well as fans all over the U.S., but the wait will soon be over.  Fox Forever hits store and library shelves across the country next Tuesday, March 19.  Be sure to come to the Library and ask to put it on hold before students feverishly rush to get their hands on the title.

A Funny Science Night?!?

Magic Don Miller amused Zionsville with his Dinosaur show, he amazed Zionsville with his Magic show, but now he has become fascinated with the world of inventors and inventions, and you know what that means...Science is going to be hilariously entertaining! 

Join us Monday, March 11 from 6:30-7:30pm.  Magic Don Miller will present interesting appliances, tools and toys from scientists that you may have heard of, including Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, Madame C.J. Walker.  Of course, Don will also present his own Wacky Inventions in the interactive mini-museum, we'll see if we can guess which ones are his!

This program is for families with children ages 3-12, it will be funny and educational (but don't tell the kids that!).