Programming and Outreach
Summer Reading 2026
| Children Registered | 879 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes Logged | 795,562 | |
| School Visits | 99 | 1875 participants |
| Programs for ages 0-5 | 34 | 787 participants |
| Programs for ages 6-11 | 60 | 1949 participants |
| Take and Makes provided | 220 | |
| Books handed out | 744 | |
| Towels handed out | 443 | |
| Prizes handed out | 1940 |
| Teens Registered | 120 | |
|---|---|---|
| Books Read | 406 | |
| School Visits | 3 | 264 participants |
| Programs | 7 | 57 participants |
| Take and Makes provided | 94 | |
| Volunteers | 24 | |
| Volunteer Hours | 213 | |
| Books provided | 120 | |
| Towels handed out | 26 | |
| Prizes handed out | 321 |
Photo Gallery
| JULY- AUGUST 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Teen Programs | 6 | 39 attendees |
| Children's Programs | 87 | 2420 attendees |
| Teen Room Door Count | 300 | |
| Teen Volunteer Hours | 213 |
Summer programming was all about dinosaurs, nature and having a great time. Some program highlights were definitely the dinosaur tea party, Whalemobile, Tang museum and the Pokemon club kick-off. Alex put together over 200 take and makes, which are so appreciated by families as well as some patrons with visiting relatives. Kristine, Kate and Patty worked exceptionally hard to get a special summer reading party planned over at High Rock Park- Jani Poppins’ bubble truck was especially exciting and Ben and Jerry’s gave us a great deal for everyone to enjoy a scoop. Alex hosted Stories in Sound, our Saratoga Arts Grant program- it was very special for the families to experience live music and she reports that they were particularly entranced by the woodwinds.
Kristine and AnnaRae offered two scavenger hunts over the summer. Many patrons really look forward to these programs, especially because they are so flexible and can be done by anyone at any time.
The reading program had a record number of registrations (999!) and the changes to the incentives were really popular. The towel was an inspired choice of prize and moving it to the middle of the program really incentivized the reluctant and struggling readers. Almost 500 towels were awarded compared to 250 t-shirts in 2025.
AnnaRae cut back on in-person teen programming to focus more on take and makes. She feels that her in-person events often serve the same teens over and over who are already here and wants her programming to have a wider impact. She plans to continue this over the coming months and see who she can reach. She also has been continuing to work on using supplies that were in the teen room before she was hired 3 years ago. Her efforts in sustainability are excellent!
Summer story times were concentrated onto 2 days per week. It seemed to be a just right combination for the participants and while the afternoons could be hit or miss, those who came were appreciative of the option. Alex will be trying out a weekly baby program in the afternoons to see if we can meet the needs of some other folks.
Updates and Projects
Several of the items for the Treehouse Room and Story Room have been ordered with the Nolan memorial funds. Gina is working on signage updates to refresh the Treehouse Room for when the new furniture and toys are installed. The new chairs for the story room are more sensory friendly and quite eye catching. Kristine has provided new literacy tips to focus on phonics for the play space so families get practical advice to start their reading journey early.
Collections and Display
Kid’s displays included: fiction books that are first in series, non-fiction books that have not yet been borrowed, Unearth a Story, Music, Dance, Summer Reads, Sharks, American Adventure month, Things with Wings, and Horses.
Teen displays included: Poolside Reads, New York State of Mind and Road Trips as well as Love on Vacation, 250 Years in the Making and Road Trip.
Throughout summer the collections tend to be heavily used. Librarians focus on keeping materials in decent shape and on shelf. In fall they will begin to weed more heavily.
CE
Kate attended the YSS quarterly board meeting and the NYLA CE committee continues their work.
AnnaRae serves on the YSS Scholarship committee.
Kristine presented on a panel regarding “literacy hubs” sponsored by Brodart to discuss her work with the Decodables- over 100 librarians attended the session live and many more will be able to view the recording.
What we’re reading
librarians like books, did you know?
AnnaRae is reading I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
Kate is reading We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewe
Alex is reading Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
Kristine is reading Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty and Styx and Stones by Gary Schmidt
Laura is reading Land, by Maggie O’Farrell