Downtown Burlington has no shortage of construction this summer. Neon yellow vests and hard hats are the season’s hottest look, and “Road Closed” signs are popping up like rodents in a Whac-A-Mole game.
The old Burlington YMCA is in the process of being converted into apartments. A block away, the hulking, decaying Memorial Auditorium awaits its fate. And between the two, the 1904 portion of Fletcher Free Library is undergoing exterior renovations. All three are surrounded by chain-link fences.
The city spent $14,000 to cover the Memorial fence with reproductions of local artwork. The library has taken a different approach. Where some see an eyesore, librarians see programming space.
Youth services librarian Megan Butterfield and a colleague laminated the pages of the picture book Cats in Construction Hats and zip-tied them to the fence. “Green cat. Orange hat. Mix this. Pour that,” begins the story, written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrated by Leeza Hernandez. The cats’ project, like so many, hits a snag: “BOOM! CRASH! SPLAT!”
Library development manager Gale Batsimm added educational panels to the fence. Each begins with a question: “Why are the windows boarded up?” “What’s with the dark patches of brick?” “How has mortar changed?” Each answer is followed by a reminder that the library remains open.
Fletcher Free maintains a permanent story walk in Leddy Park and began mounting one in its front windows during the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction presented an ideal opportunity to expand, Butterfield said: “Who’s not mad about construction? It’s little kids. Little kids are really excited about it.”
When readers tire of this particular story, Butterfield will change it up but plans to stick with a construction theme. She’ll find another book in the library’s “Things That Go” section. Among its titles: New York Times bestseller Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Instructive Construction”
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2025.
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