Read On! New Year Goals

Welcome to 2020! As you begin to tackle your New Year Goals list, don’t forget that your library can make your goals easier and less expensive to accomplish. We have too many resources to list here, so if I miss one of your goals, let us know and we’ll be happy to help you find you what you need. 

If you’re aiming at improving your health we’ve got you covered. We have a plethora of cookbooks, some good workout books and DVDs, books about mindfulness and meditation, and more. We also have materials that focus on specific medical diagnoses that may require lifestyle modifications. 

Want to learn a new language? Check out our Mango resource online (or via the app). With more than 70 languages to choose from, you’re bound to find something of interest. 

If you’d like to learn a new skill, check out our DIY resources online – “Home Improvement Reference Center” and “Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center” – and our selection of books on everything from knitting to deck-building. Also, keep an eye on our events for adults the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM for workshops on various DIY topics. 

Organizing and decluttering are always part of my new year goals, so I’m finding inspiration in our nonfiction collection (specifically in the 648s) with books like “Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness” by Gretchen Rubin. 

Of course, we also have plenty of materials through our physical and digital libraries to help you with even the most ambitious reading challenges! Our Books & Brews Book Club from 1 – 3 PM the first Saturday of the month at Fat Toad Brewing is a good place to go to find new books to read and a friendly group of people with whom to discuss them. We’ll be discussing “Fated” by Benedict Jacka at our next meeting on Feb. 1, 2020. 

 

Read On! NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is upon us! NaNoWriMo (pronounced “nah-no-wry-mow”) happens every November and is a time when participants attempt to write a novel (or 50,000 words) between November 1st and 30th. 

If you’ve ever thought, “I could/should write a book,” now’s your chance! We have an entire month focused on just that. With two write-in sessions each week in November – Mondays from 6-9 PM and Saturdays from 9 AM-Noon (except November 30th), you can join other ambitious writers on your journey. 

These sessions are pretty low-key. We’ll have coffee and mints for inspiration and one of our staff will moderate. Moderation for a write-in session may sound strange, but it’s pretty fun. It includes pep-talks, word sprints (trying to reach a word count goal in a set amount of time), and writing prompts (that are often random quotes, items, or ideas you can include in your writing).  Plus, write-ins give you a group of people willing to discuss random or strange plot points.   

NaNoWriMo is full of people with different goals, so come write with us even if you don’t want to write 50,000 words in a month.

This Thursday teens will get to try their hand at solving the puzzles in this year’s Escape Room. Teens need to sign up for a time to go through the room, but there are still a handful of spots left. Their choices are 4:30, 6:00, or 7:30 PM. 

Next Thursday at 6:30 PM adults can hang out with me and learn how to knit! We’ll start a washcloth project and learn the basics of casting on, the knit stitch, the purl stitch, and casting off. Anyone interested should bring a skein of 100% cotton yarn (Sugar ‘n Cream or Peaches & Creme are good choices) and size 7 knitting needles. Also, your washcloths might look a mess. And that’s okay. Knitting can be tricky at first. 

 

Read On! Storytime

We are excited to start another session of programming. Storytime classes resume each Wednesday at 10:30 AM and Teen Night is the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM. We also have classes and workshops for grown ups the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM. 

While none of our classes, events, or workshops is done for pure frivolity – we have specific goals and learning targets for just about every event we put on – our storytime classes are the least frivolous of all library programming. The primary purpose for storytime classes is to help young children learn the early literacy skills that will prepare them for school and get them ready to learn how to read. 

To do this, we focus on teaching six specific early literacy skills – print motivation (love of books and reading), print awareness (knowing how books work), letter knowledge (knowing that words are made up of letters), vocabulary (knowing and using lots of different words), phonological awareness (knowing that words are made of different sounds), and narrative skills (being able to retell stories). We also try to model how to teach these skills so that caregivers can continue teaching at home. 

The kids in your life are not going to be behind if they don’t make it to storytime each week. In fact, I can count on two hands the number of storytimes I was able to take my kids to. If you’re reading to your kids regularly, you’re probably teaching them all six of these skills without even knowing it. The key to teaching early literacy skills is simply to read to them as often as you can. While you read, ask your kids questions about the story, point to different letters, make up rhymes, talk about the words in the story, and above all else have fun.

If you’re not reading to your kids, it’s never too late to start.

Read On! Summer Reading Wrap Up

We just wrapped up our most successful Summer Reading Program on record! I don’t have the numbers for every event we hosted, but when I compare the numbers I have to the same numbers from last year, we had a phenomenal Summer! 

Our Summer Reading Program has two parts: the reading part where kids & teens track the time they read and adults mark squares off our Bingo sheet and the class/event part where people can attend an event at the library. Comparing sign-ups for the reading part and attendance for the event part, we have seen a significant increase in participation this year. Thank you! 

We had 368 people register for and receive the various trackers for the reading part of Summer Reading. Exactly half of those registered are kids ages 5 – 11 who earned a free book for every five hours they read. Overall, our total registration increased by almost 12% over the registration from last year’s program. 

This year, we saw almost 20% more people attend our Summer Reading events than we had last year. In all, 1,212 people made it to the library for an adult, teen, or kid event! And that’s not counting the number of people who attend our Library Festival! (I don’t have those numbers yet.)

I’m so proud of how hard the Library staff worked to make this summer a success. I love watching their planning unfold and I love hearing the stories of the people who attend. This summer seemed to bring a lot of fun and excitement to everyone who joined us. Next year’s slogan for Summer Reading is “Imagine Your Story,” which will surely be as much fun as this year!

We take a break from programming in August, but join us in September for Storytime Classes every Wednesday at 10:30 AM; Teen Night the first Thursdays at 6:30 PM; and Adult Classes and Workshops the second Thursdays at 6:30 PM.