[Classifieds] [classifieds]: Library slates for sale

[MBL Classifieds]

>From "Jennifer Gaines " < jgaines at clamsnet.org > 


Woods Hole Public Library Slates for Sale in Fund-Raiser 



After hours of research into uses of old slates, Woods Hole Public Library Director Margaret McCormick has developed a fund-raising plan to create and sell cheese boards made out of the Library’s century-old roof slates which are in the process of being removed and replaced. The slates vary in color from blue-green to dusky rose to dark plum, some plain and others speckled. The preparation of the old slates is labor-intensive, requiring hours of painstaking cleaning and oiling. Margaret observes “The slates from the south facing roof seem to take less time to clean; perhaps the environmental conditions there are harsher. Some on the north side were patched in about 22 years ago, recycled from a building in Boston, and take much more than the average time of ½ hour of scrubbing per slate”. Some have had their edges filed. All are given a final treatment of two coats of oil rubbed into their surfaces. Again there is a difference in the surface; often it is the maroon-toned stone that needs more oil. 





For a finishing touch, plastic nubs are glued to the bottom surface for non-scratching feet, and identifying words are written on the bottom “Woods Hole Public Library Roof Slate 1912-2012”. The slates are elegantly presented, tied with a hemp cord which attaches a piece of soapstone chalk so the potential host can write the names of cheeses right on the slate surface.(Like all chalks, the writing can be wiped or washed off. Unlike other chalks, soapstone chalk doesn’t leave a lot of dust.)The cheese boards are being sold for $30. 




The slates are being replaced by roofer Tom Chase in a project partly funded by the Community Preservation Committee. For non-roofers one of the big surprises in the project is that the slates are graded in size from largest and thickest at the lower edge to smallest and thinner ones at the ridge-line. The largest are about 20 inches long; the shortest are about 15 inches long. They vary in width from about 8 inches to 13 inches, though most are 10 inches wide. Because of the color and size variations, potential purchasers are encouraged to visit the Library to choose their own individual slate. The Library’s open hours are Monday 12-5:30 PM, 7-9 PM; Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 3-5:30 PM, Wednesday 10 am-5:30 PM and 7-9 PM and Saturday noon to 5:30 PM. 




Board member Laurie Raymond is also helping the cause. She has been making coasters by cutting the slates into 3 ¾” squares with a wet saw with a diamond blade. These attractive coasters are finished with felt feet and are for sale for $ 18, tied in packets of four. 





For more information, call the Library at 508-548-8961 or check out the website at woodsholepubliclibrary.org . 
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