The WIR is a professional writer who furthers the library’s fundamental mission by volunteering numerous hours each week, creating and offering library programming.

Writer in Residence Hiatus

The Writer in Residence program is going to be on hiatus for a few years as we refocus our attention on developing a historian in residence program, a strategic plan initiative. We anticipate that this new position will create and present new work based on our collections, specifically looking at increasing access to underrepresented communities in our local history collections.
We value the literary programming that our amazing Writer in Residence Emeriti have brought to our library and community, and look forward to continuing to work with a variety of organizations and individuals to continue this tradition.

Program History

In 2003 Director Janet Moulding and writer Diana Martin Gordon put their heads together to further an engagement between the library and the literary community by extending the library’s usefulness beyond the lending of books. Diana volunteered her time and expertise for over four years. Through her creativity and hard work, a roster of literary programs, open to all, were born, including a weekly forum on contemporary poetry, writing workshops, and a poetry reading series. These programs provide the framework and impetus for the rich adult programming the library currently offers. Diana was our first Writer-in-Residence, a role that she created and developed, and still advises and contributes to in many ways. She offers programs, advises on collection development, and acts as a liaison for the writing community at large. In 2006 she mentored a second WIR, Sue Case.

Past Writers in Residence

Susan Howard Case Poetry Corner

The Susan Howard Case Poetry Corner was named in memory of a local poet who contributed to the library’s rich poetry community through her volunteer service. For many years this non-circulating collection consisted of poetry books and chapbooks by Pioneer Valley poets, and locally published literary journals. “The idea for this collection developed in response to the abundance of many gifted poets in our area,” said D.M. Gordon, former Forbes Library Writer-in-Residence who created the idea for this collection. In 2024 the collection was incorporated into the library’s circulating collection, so patrons can now borrow these books and enjoy them outside the library.