An opera house that straddles the US/Canadian border

At the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line/Stanstead, the U.S./Canadian border slices right through the Kenneth Baldwin International Reading Room.

You enter the turn-of-the-century building in Vermont, but you check out the books -- your choice of English or French -- in Quebec. And, the librarian who assists you may be either a citizen of the United States or Canada, or both and, probably bilingual.
The 400-seat Opera House adjoining the library has recently undergone extensive safety and handicapped-accessibility renovations. Patrons of the performing arts sit in the United States and applaud performances upon a Canadian stage.

The building and its facilities are governed by a seven-member board of trustees -- four Americans and three Canadians -- who serve without pay.

The library lives up to the "free" part in its name: there are no membership fees, and no loan charges are made for book, tapes, or videos. All art exhibits, discussion groups, and other library programs are also free. However, you must usually pay to attend Opera House performances.

In the library, some black tape on the floor marks the border. We have added the flags!

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