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CHAPTER VII
Thrall Library - Mattie B. Gaines... "Follow Me To The Library"
Mattie B. Gaines was Director of Thrall Library from May
1969 until her retirement in October 1992. She was educated at
Drake University in Iowa, and received her library degree from
Syracuse University. Prior to assuming the directorship at
Thrall she worked at the Brooklyn Public Library and libraries on
Long Island. For a short time she was also Director of the
Nanuet Public Library.33
As a black woman growing up in the midwest Mrs. Gaines had a
sense of family togetherness. She saw the library as central to
community 11fe. One of her aims was to get as many people as
possible into Thrall Library, "the younger the better, the more
the merrier, and not too quiet please. "Os The importance of good
community relations was never lost on her. She was fond of
reminding everyone she came in contact with that the 11brary
belongs to the community. For quite some time the bumper sticker
on the back of her car read "Follow me to the Library",65
Expanding and strengthening the library's existing reference
collection was another priority with Mrs. Gaines. She wanted
information available to support the students attending Orange