“If June was the beginning of a hopeful summer, and July the juicy middle, August was suddenly feeling like the bitter end.” —Sarah Dessen
From the Director
As summer continues, I’m excited to share some of the many ways the library is growing and evolving this year. While some changes are easy to spot and others may seem small, each one is designed to make the library more welcoming, convenient, and useful for our community.
One of our most exciting additions is the continued expansion of our Library of Things. Along with our growing collection of nontraditional items, we’ve recently added cake pans that patrons can borrow for birthdays, holidays, and special celebrations. It’s another fun way we’re helping our community save money while trying something new.
We’re also making improvements throughout the building to enhance your library experience. If you’ve visited recently, you may have noticed our bike rack has been relocated to the alley side of the main entrance, providing a more convenient and accessible place for cyclists to park. Inside the library, we will be adding a new book return slot directly into the circulation desk, making it quicker and easier to return materials while visiting.
We’re also looking for new ways to grow our programming by tapping into one of our greatest resources – our community. Do you have a hobby, talent, skill, or passion that you’d be willing to share with others? Whether you’re an experienced crafter, gardener, photographer, musician, technology enthusiast, or simply enjoy teaching others, we’d love to hear from you. Our best programs often come from the interests and expertise of community members, and we’re always looking for new ideas that bring people together to learn, create, and connect.
These updates are just a few examples of how we’re continually looking for ways to better serve our community. We look forward to seeing you soon!
From the Youth Coordinator
Summer is wrapping up already in the library. If you stop in, you’ll find features on back-to-school alongside our dinosaurs and archaeology. You and your littles can practice letters and colors with our latest coloring sheets and StickTogether mosaic. Older kids can enjoy an analog weekend with our Giant Jenga, record player, and Polaroid camera, all available in our Library of Things collection. Or, break up the boredom of summer doldrums by borrowing our new pass to Museum of the Earth outside of Ithaca.
As the school year returns and your schedule gets back to normal, be sure to schedule in stops to the library! Join an activity to connect with others, borrow a book to enrich your knowledge, or let your imagination run wild with the latest dramatic play items in our Enrichment Room. You can also let us know about programs you’d like to see, or books you think we should consider for purchase.
July 18 is also the midpoint of our summer programs. These programs wouldn’t be possible without our community partners, and we’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Dansville Rotary Club’s generous support this year. Their financial donation has allowed us to bring in outside programs like Dinosaurs from Rochester Museum & Science Center, Fossils of the Finger Lakes from Cumming Nature Center, and REPCO’s Unearth a Story reptile show. We’re also able to provide pizza dinner at our two weekly evening events for families. We hope that you have a chance to join us in enjoying these experiences!
Summer reading is coming, and this year we’re wild about dinosaurs, archaeology, and paleontology! Be on the lookout for reading challenge registration starting next week, and our full, all-ages summer reading program calendar coming soon as we feature weekly storytimes, movie nights, teen book club & crafts, family meetups, and special events.
April is a season of renewal, as signs of spring begin to appear and new things start to bloom. It’s a time of fresh beginnings, and at the Library, we’re embracing that spirit with a full calendar of programs and activities for all ages.
April 8 10a-1p
We are deeply grateful for our ongoing partnerships with Dansville Central Schools. Whether we’re visiting classrooms and lunch periods, participating in school events, or collaborating on projects here at the library, this relationship is part of our foundation within the community.
In response to an increased demand for study space, we’ve reconfigured some areas to better meet the quiet study needs of our patrons. We moved the study corrals to the front of the nonfiction section, in the area recently dedicated to retired director Terry Dearing.
When newspapers and periodicals were relocated last year, we also planned to add a new seating area for patrons to read and browse. This has now been accomplished, creating a seating area that is both comfortable and spacious for patrons to enjoy.
Our Local History Room has seen a recent revitalization. Library Clerk Amanda organized the collection, we eliminated outdated equipment, and Maintenance Technician Chuck relocated the former research counter to the mezzanine, where it mirrors the popular seating in the YA area.
Another significant project involved moving cabinets from the upstairs Conklin Board Room to join other historical materials in the Local History Room. As you can see from the number of helpers it took to move these cabinets, this was no small task.
Moving these cabinets has also created an opportunity to improve public awareness of and access to some of the library’s unique archival materials, including original editions of newspapers from Dansville’s history.
