Report of the Southwick Public Library
For the first time ever, the Southwick Public Library is staging a five-part adult program series which began with Our Hard-Won Rights in September, and will culminate with The Sights and Sounds of America in March of 2011. The series, entitled Celebrating America, draws on images from a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant, and saw nearly 90 participants during its three programs held in 2010. The idea for the series came from a 3-day Celebrating America Conference (sponsored by the national group and the American Library Association). Director Anne Murray and 70 others nationwide were chosen to attend the March conference as the result of essays they wrote about the Picturing America Grant.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Southwick Public Library, the series’ topics were suggested by themes from the grant which provided 40 artistic images that defined America. These were used to reinforce the themes which also included: Native Americans’ Contributions, Painting the Landscapes of America, and America’s Leaders.
However, adult programming’s mainstay has ever been its monthly book discussions (held in two sessions- spring and fall) which in March of 2010 also included a book talk involving 17 adults by the author of The Black Squirrel Ball, Amy Caruso. Some 70 patrons attended the seven remaining book discussions in 2010. Also in March, 26 adults were treated to an enlightening program on the Wildflowers of the Northeast by John Root followed in April by Rich Hauff’s program introducing several to Project Management. In May, Evelyn Dean Casey, a well-known area artist, held a family workshop which resulted in 19, including six children and 13 adults, Losing Fear of Drawing.
Some 205 patrons were tallied for the library’s 8th annual Adult Suntime Reading Program during the summer of 2010. That program was followed by 30 adults who came in September to hear actor Richard Clark magnificently portray Clarence Darrow in the Celebrating America series opener, and the 32 others who attended with rapt attention the music, dancing, and storytelling program that was staged in October as Native Americans’ Contributions. Greg Maichak’s pastel painting program in November, the third program of the series, saw 25 would-be artists trying their hands at Painting the Landscapes of America.
Also, the Friends of the Southwick Public Library in February 2010 sponsored an internet tool that helped 51 patrons find the perfect job, create professional resumes, master interviewing skills, and organize and track their job search progress. It is the on-line platform Job and Career Accelerator, accessible by patrons from the library or remotely through the town’s website. Also, LearningExpressLibrary, a test prep platform, also available through the town’s website, showed 188 had gone on-line to take advantage of a wide variety of preparatory tests covering college and career instruments The total bested the 2009 tally of 155.
We greatly appreciated receiving a grant from the Sarah Gillett Services For the Elderly, Inc., of Westfield which allowed us to purchase 21 vintage DVDs from the 30s and 40s for our patrons. Also, in February, from a grant from the Shurtleff Children’s Services, Robert Rivest presented a program to 18 children on Healthy Choices. Additionally, we are indebted to the Southwick Cultural Council (a division of the Massachusetts Cultural Council) for the two family and one young adult (YA) programs the library was able to offer. These included for the family programs: Wingmasters: Birds of Prey a captivating program that held the audience of 56 spellbound; and Science of Bubbles that entertained an audience of 226 with fantastic bubble creations as the culminating activity of the Going Green At Your Library Suntime Reading Program. Finally the YA Manga Workshop –one of 24 programs available to teens in 2010-taught eight how to produce cartoon-type figures so popular in YA literature. Nine reading program participants took advantage of the YA and Children’s Book Discussions held during August. Other YA programs included a Bagalope Workshop for eight; YA Library Training Workshops involving 24 teens; two Teen Center Wii sessions involving eight; a Teen Poetry Contest in April with 22 entries; a Tie-Dye Workshop with seven participants; a Kite-Making Workshop with five creative kite-makers; a Fun Survey involving eight teens; aBookmark Craft session with 16 participants; and a Thanksgiving Craft with two makers. Teens broke their Suntime Program record tallying 124 visits during 2010 compared to their 118 logged in 2009.
YA Librarian Diane Caruso addressed 450 students at Powder Mill Middle School (in three sessions) as an outreach program to entice them with the teen activities of the Suntime Reading Program; while Children’s Librarian Margo Storozuk addressed 423 students at the Woodland Elementary School (in three sessions) to get them excited about the activities the Suntime program provides for their age group.
In another outreach effort, 52 fair goers visited our information table at the Kids’ Fair in the Southwick Rec Center in May. Ed Popielarczyk’s Magic Show, sponsored by the Friends of the Southwick Public Library, was the instrument used to initiate 105 kindergarteners, and 15 adults to the library and its resources. An annual affair, the children, who’ve heard about the program from older siblings, look forward to it each year.
Library statistics proved interesting showing approximately 46,800 people visited the library in 2010 checking out or renewing 71,070 items. The breakdown of our over 10,000 patrons indicates 69% are from Southwick. Other long term findings are equally revealing including a comparison of FY 2009 statistics to FY 2000 which indicates our computer use is up 84%, our programs are up 27%, and the volumes we hold are up 100%!
Speaking of statistics, our Children’s department logged 74 programs during 2010. The 23 Tuesday storytimes, which alternated stories for 2 year olds, and stories for 3-5 year olds, saw 257 participants including children and their parents, or care givers. Eighty children and their parents or care givers attended themed Saturday storytimes including the 47 who were on hand in April 2010 for a Bunny Read which featured Josh Gagnon‘s pets. Also, 27 attended three bedtime storytimes with 18 attending the Dr. Seuss Birthday Bedtime Read in March featuring readings from Dr. Seuss’ works by Trustee Emeritus Lynda Daniele. Additionally, the Children’s room marked 12 Southwick births with kits the family received to introduce them, and their newborns to the library; and 10 children received commemorative Birthday Pencils to mark their special day. Fourteen craft sessions were held involving the holidays and the seasons with 491 youngsters’ showing their creativity over the course of 2010. Additionally, six special craft sessions during our going green program had 119 youngsters creating a house puzzle, pinwheel, frog, bee magnet, mosaic butterfly and go-green booklet. A kite-making workshop held in July, and sponsored by the Friends of the Southwick Public Library, saw nine children leave with a one-of-a-kind creation. Then, later that month 163 children went on a frog hunt during the Suntime Program, while 46 went on a snow flake search in December 2010. Two outreach efforts, one to the local Tiger Cub Scouts involving six scouts, and one to a local day care involving four children were also made. The first to acquaint them with the library and its resources, and the second was a special storytime. Another children’s program saw two attend a Bagalope Workshop, and six attend a brown bag lunch book discussion of Summer of the Monkeys.
In addition to the support of the generous contributors already noted, the library wants to thank Trustees Carol Geryk for her Knitting Program, and Michael McMahon, Chair, for his gift of serials. Other Library Trustees whose support of the library, has also proved invaluable include Tammy Ciak, Suzanne Davis, Richard Hauff, and Nancy Zdun. We are also indebted to the Massachusetts Library System, the Massachusetts Board of Library Trustees as well as the many local businesses that support the library’s activities, and the teen and adult volunteers who unselfishly contribute to the library with their help each week.
Respectfully submitted,
Anne M. Murray, Director