SWAMPSCOTT — A town library should be a place of community, where people can learn from the words those who came before them, spark interesting and important conversations, and gain a greater understanding of the world around them.
Even in the face of a global pandemic, Library Director Alyce Deveau has made the Swampscott Public Library this sort of place.
Together with Swampscott Unites, Respects, Embraces (S.U.R.E.) Deveau built the “One Topic One Town: A Journey Towards Dismantling Racism” book series.
For her work in helping to put this program together, Deveau is The Essex Media Group’s 2020 Person of the Year for Swampscott.
The series offered the town’s residents a set of race-conscious book recommendations, along with programs around the books, including discussions, lectures, movies, history podcasts and presentations.
The books include “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson, “How to be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi, “Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead, “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi and “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” by Mildred D. Taylor.
Since the library couldn’t be open to the public during the pandemic, Deveau had to adapt, conducting most of her programs over Zoom.
“I’ve realized that my children are much better accepting things than I am,” said Deveau. “Because I grew up in a different time. And I had to change and I had to become more aware.”
She hopes that her program, along with other efforts from the Town, can help people grow to be more accepting — as she feels she has done.
“Before, if someone said a racist joke about someone, I just would be the person to pretend I didn’t hear it,” she said. “But after this work I feel like I would be the person to stand up and say ‘that’s not right’. I think it’s made me a little more courageous.”
These conversations that the One Topic One Town series has sparked have been particularly important in what has been a year of racial reckoning for the suburban enclave.
“It’s been a big awakening for the town of Swampscott,” said Deveau. “I think that’s really important because it’s bringing the entire town together. It’s definitely the biggest effort of this kind I’ve ever seen.”
Deveau insisted that the program was a group effort. She rattled off the names of the other members of the library and S.U.R.E. that made this possible.
“Janina Majeran, Izzi Abrams, Martha Curry, and Sue Burgess,” she said. “We’ve worked pretty hard to set up programs.”
Deveau wants real concrete results to come out of her work, and the work of others involved addressing race in Swampscott.
“I’m hoping that there will be something obvious and something visible that can come out of all of the work we’re doing this year,” she said. “We want to make this a place that is welcoming. We want people to feel welcome when they walk into the door. And the conversations that we’re having can help with that.”
