An Overdue Visit... to the Haskel Free Library
Updated: 3d
For decades I’ve wanted to visit the Haskel Free Library.
I first learned of it while teaching social studies to 5th graders in Maplewood, New Jersey.
This fall, I finally made it to Derby Line, VT, where the library is located. It’s a building worth knowing…
The Haskel Free Library and Opera House is like no other public building I know of. It was intentionally built on the actual border between Vermont and Quebec in 1901 – situating it in both Canada and the US. Literally, Americans enter through one side of the building and Canadians enter through a door on the opposite side.
The library and opera house is a cultural centerpiece that supports communities in both countries by providing a variety of library services and reading material in both English and French. The charming opera house upstairs hosts programming in the visual and performing arts. According to its website, the Haskel has been “a beacon of community spirit and cross-border collaboration” for 125 years.
More than 20 years ago I first noticed an image of the library in Jefferson School’s social studies textbook. Being a native Canadian and a naturalized American, I immediately knew I'd like to visit somday. Little did I know that 2026 would find me living just an hour and a half away!
All these years later I remembered that picture.
When I recently learned of a Cross-border Poetry Reading happening at the Haskel Free Library and Opera House, I knew a visit was in the cards.
It was a sunny fall day, and yes, the leaves and the Vermont countryside were gorgeous. We checked out the library before the poetry reading began. Honestly, I felt like I’d been there already and it did not disappoint.
After walking through the large wooden door I glanced into the busy sun-filled children’s room to the left. In the hallway I lingered, admiring mementos that were beautifully displayed in a large cabinet. There were collector blue and white plates and other commemorative ceramicware, “centennial” stickers , and many old photographs. The items echoed a proud and unique heritage.
In the main room of the library, a couple of friendly women were checking out books over a very large desk.
Stacks of books were housed in a large room towards the back of the building. I looked around, took a few pictures, and found my way up the third floor for the poetry reading.
The Opera House was bustling with poets! The room itself conjured images of over a century of community theater and gatherings. How this building has served both the Canadians and Americans who live nearby!
I sat in the lovely hall and waited for an event I hadn't ever considered: a cross-border poetry reading. I assumed the term referred to poems pertaining to the current relationship between Canada and the US, which has unfortunately been fraught with tariff and other issues the past year and a half. Some of my own poems reflect those current issues, so I assumed a few poems along the same lines.
Poetry, like other art forms, is bound to broaden perspective...
“Current events” were not a hot topic that afternoon but several poems inspired a few thoughts. Whether the esteemed poets were living in Philadelphia, Montreal or a few towns over, they spoke of “our common humanity”, “our search for beauty inside the storm”, and “a spring that longs to return”.
It was also a pleasure to grow in my own understanding of the well-established Quebec/Vermont community that surrounds the Haskel Free Library and Opera House.
As for the current political issues, we can all hope they resolve soon. I have faith that Canadians and Americans will continue to find new ways to grow their friendship.
Regarding my bucket list, there’s a sense of satisfaction and shared history in having visited the Haskel Free Library and Opera Center. Check it out if you're in the area!
Josette Abruzzini is a native Canadian and a naturalized American who grew up in in Newfoundland, Canada. In addition to honing her skills in children's lit, she writes about the north Atlantic, STEAM education, and about the friendship between Canadians and Americans. Josette makes her home in Vermont.
Click here to read her blog, which among other topics includes poems and prose about Canada and the US. If you'd like to keep up with her writing news, be sure and join her contacts.
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