Programming and Outreach
- Teen programs: 9
- Teen attendance: 105
- Teen room attendance: 188
- Teen Volunteer hours: 70
- Children’s programs: 56
- Children’s Attendance: 1551
February break was so very busy! Alex and AnnaRae put together an Octopus scavenger hunt which was available all week. These programs tend to be extremely popular since patrons can work at their own pace on their own schedule. Programming was a combination of frozen nature with Laura and Wilton Wildlife, Kate’s STEM/STEAM, Alex’s crafting and Kristine’s Clifford Birthday Party.
Saratoga Reads Jr. came to an end with the in-person celebration. Ike awarded Catherine Golden with her commendation and she was very appreciative. By a happy accident we ended up with many extra copies of Pax; Kate and Catherine put together some discussion questions and provided the books to the community for free. This meant that many children who were not able to participate in the discussion were still able to get a book and enjoy Saratoga Reads.
Kristine reports that the Flurry was a success this year. Without any bad weather keeping people away, the turn out was excellent and they provided 6 different events for our location.
AnnaRae held her first CPR/FirstAid/AED training for teens this month. She is CPR trainer certified through her work with the Red Cross Baby Sitting class. She was extremely pleased with the turn-out and composition of the class.
Regular monthly programming continues to be popular with many regulars as well as new faces. This includes, Neurodiversity Club, Chess Club, Sensory Play, Minecraft, Homeschool Hang, Drop-In Crafts, and Bookmark Bunch.
Story time continues to be massively popular- we regularly see new faces. Patrons seem to really appreciate that we have a set schedule, but are flexible about attendance so they can make good choices for their families. This session will run through mid-May and pause to allow the staff to focus on summer reading promotions. Summer story times will have a smaller regular schedule and allow more room for the librarians to offer special programs for all age groups.
Updates and Projects
AnnaRae hosted her winter teen volunteer meeting - there are some new faces in the program which is great to see. Staff who attended the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) training are hard at work on updating their guides and consulting Brendon on how to make things compliant.
Collections and Display
Teen book displays included “Crack Open a Love Story,” “Endangered Books,” and the Teen advisory board display “Falling for February.”
Children’s displays included Library Lovers, Black authors, Black History Month, Valentines Day, Lunar New Year, Groundhogs, Dragons, Horses, Foxes and Octopuses, Clifford, Elephant and Piggie. Laura and Catherine are working on finishing the relocation of the Parenting books. They have been focused on determining which topics are most crucial to bring back to the lower level as well as carving out the right amount of space.
What We’re Reading
- AnnaRae is reading The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent
- Alex is reading Death at the Lighthouse (Montgomery Bonbon #2) by Alasdair Beckett-King
- Kate is reading Brady Mason’s Perfect Fit by Nicole Melleby
- Laura is reading Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrel
- Kristine is reading Isle of Ever by Jen Calonita
Continuing Education
- Kristine and Alex both attended Advocacy Day at the Capitol on 2/3/26.
- Catherine attended the virtual summer reading workshop through SALS. Laura viewed the recording later on.
- Catherine attended the ALA seminar on dealing with ICE in libraries.
Respectfully submitted by Catherine Brenner, Head of Youth Services