Through their work in the Library and at local events, staff at CLP - Lawrenceville found that the seniors in their community enjoy engaging in literacy and learning discussions around their experiences in the Lawrenceville area.

During the summer of 2015, CLP-Lawrenceville partnered with Lawrenceville Historical Society (LHS) to celebrate the recently published Lawrenceville: Images of America. Over seventy community members attended the event and presentation, staying afterward to share stories related to their memories of the photographs found in the book.

Witnessing the desire for local community members to connect around their experiences in the neighborhood and the success of the Lawrenceville: Images of America celebration event combined to inspire the Historic Lawrenceville: Stories from Our Neighbors project.

Staff connected with seniors in the community by sharing historic photographs of places in Lawrenceville from the Library’s archives. They asked if the photograph brought back memories and listened while the community member shared his/her experiences in the neighborhood. Those experiences were recorded and documented along with the photograph for all to explore!

Some of the experiences were related to the Library, and how it’s changed and evolved.

“Having the internet available here, made a big difference in a lot of people’s lives. As far as looking for jobs, and building resumes and just being able to research and get more information. And it can help people better their lives.” – Barb

The recordings tell a rich history from the perspective of our neighbors.