Modeste Bedient Memorial Library
Branchport, N Y

 New Library

 New Branchport library honors gentle woman
 Friday, March 24, 2006

 By GINA MUSCATO
 Finger Lakes Times

 BRANCHPORT — Though she’s never set foot inside the new library that bears her name, Modeste Bedient’s warm and welcoming spirit is there.  Even her gentle smile — by way of a portrait — will greet patrons entering through the newly-constructed building’s front door.
“Nobody ever went out of our house without eating,” husband Vincent Bedient said with a knowing smile. “That’s just the way she was. She was a wonderful person.”

 On Saturday, an open house will mark the official opening of the Modeste Bedient Memorial Library, which will replace the Branchport Free Library. Bedient — a 4-H leader and Sunday school teacher who devoted much of her time to teaching children — died in June 2004 at age 69 after a battle with cancer.
“It’s sort of a fitting tribute to my bride. I’m sure she would love it. Although, she would not like her name on the sign. She’d probably be angry at me for doing that. She was pretty shy,” said Bedient with a slight chuckle. “But I couldn’t think of a better thing to do.”
That’s because it was her vision to construct a new library at the Route 54A site. A few years ago, the couple purchased roughly two acres at the entrance of town. Their incentive was to “get rid of some of the ugliness” there, said Bedient, making note of an old, dilapidated barn that was beyond repair.

 The couple donated a portion of the land for the Jerusalem War Memorial, which opened last year, and Modeste — or “Mo” as she was known — had an idea for the rest of it.
“She said it’d be a nice place for a new library,” said Bedient.

 Now it is. The brick, one-floor library adjoins the Sugar Creek boat launch and overlooks a bird sanctuary and marshland at the northwest corner of Keuka Lake. Three leather easy chairs in the reading area take particular advantage of the view. neath freshly-painted vaulted ceilings, the library’s layout includes several rows of oak bookcas

 Underes lined with nearly 9,000 volumes. In addition to popular adult, youth and children’s titles, the library has collections of large print books, audio books, magazines, videos, DVDs and books of local interest.

 There’s also room for more as the library — which is part of the Southern Tier Library System and one of the oldest chartered libraries in the state — expands its collections.

 The 3,500-square-foot building also features computer workstations with Internet access, a children’s area, full kitchen, librarian’s office, circulation desk and 40-seat community room.

 Construction on the nearly $500,000 new library began last summer and was completed in February. Besides the land, construction costs were donated by the Bedient family. The community helped out as well, with residents, friends and library officials spending three days hauling contents from the old library to the new one.
 “We had 100 grape boxes and a couple of pickup trucks,” said Bedient, adding that community members also donated equipment and materials for the new library.

 The new facility will employ a full-time librarian, Karen McKerlie, who wishes to expand programming to include a monthly children’s story hour and adult painting and computer classes.
“I’m excited. I think all of us on the board are excited,” said treasurer Sue Pinckney, the Bedients’ daughter and a 30-year board member. “We’ve been in that tiny, dinky little house for so long, so it’s nice to have something new. I think it’s gorgeous. It’s hard to envision when it’s on paper.”
The library’s former headquarters — in a small, old house called the Elizabeth Otis Memorial Building — was donated by the Otis family after Elizabeth’s death in the 1920s. Despite renovations and additions over the years, the facility lacked sufficient space, thus limiting what the library could offer.

 With the new digs, Pinckney said library officials hope circulation will increase, particularly with youth.
As for the old building, its fate has yet to be decided. The deed states that if the building is no longer used as a library, it shall be returned to the Otis family, Pinckney said. However, officials aren’t aware of any relatives’ whereabouts, she said, adding that they are working on finding them.

Still, the new library has a touch of the old in it. Pictures of the original Branchport Free Library, a portrait of Otis and other paintings that used to hang in the old library will decorate the walls of the new one. Desks, magazine racks and other furniture were also pulled from the old building.
“The library has always been a tradition here in Branchport. We didn’t want to just drop the concept. We just wanted to upgrade it,” said Bedient.

 Surely, Modeste Bedient has reason to smile.

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