Freeville, N.Y. — Amy Dickinson was driving through her hometown in Central New York last fall when she saw a for sale sign hanging on an empty, one-story building in tiny Freeville.
The building at 24 Main St. stood on a street full of memories, next to the old village hall where Dickinson’s grandmother once ran a little lending library.
Dickinson pulled over and made an offer to buy the building. An idea that had percolated in her mind for a long time bubbled up into sharp focus:
Freeville doesn’t have a library. Dickinson would open one to bring books to the village.
She knew then it was time to end “Ask Amy,” the syndicated column she had thoughtfully penned for the Chicago Tribune since 2003. It was a decision Dickinson had been wrangling with since her advice column turned 20.
“I thought, ‘Well, maybe I’ll be the first advice …