“The oaks have turned to gold and crimson sheer,
While leaves of softer woods have mostly fallen;
And thus we know November days are near
With bittersweet in fruit and wild geese calling.”
― Untitled by Roger Fedder, Buds and Nosegays Verse
From the Director
As we enter November, a season often associated with gratitude, I find myself reflecting on how much our library can accomplish because of the generosity and support of our community. A public library is more than a place for books: it is a place where people come together to learn, connect, and support one another. I am grateful for the innumerable ways our community helps make that possible.
Throughout October, we participated in The Great Give Back, collecting care supplies to support individuals in need, and again this November we will be collecting items for CANN. These efforts are reminders that even small contributions can make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors. Thank you to everyone who donated, spread the word, or otherwise helped make these initiatives successful.
During November’s Second Saturday, the library will host a Community Engagement Fair, bringing together local volunteer-based organizations and community members interested in getting involved. Whether you’re looking to give back, hoping to meet others who share your interests, or simply curious about what’s happening in our community, we hope you’ll stop by to discover the many ways to make a difference locally.
We’re also looking forward to the 30th anniversary of Winter in the Village! During this beloved community event, be sure to visit the library to make a seasonal craft, borrow something to enjoy at home, visit with Santa, and enjoy welcoming in the holiday season!
As always, thank you for supporting the Dansville Public Library! Your generosity helps us do more than maintain a collection of books—it allows us to build connections, support our neighbors, and create opportunities for our entire community.
See you at the library!
Youth Services Updates
November is full of changes that encourage us to both reflect back and look forward.
Returning in our children’s area is the dramatic play kitchen set; it’s a great chance to talk to kids about chores and contributing right at home. They can be adventurous at the same time and dive into the world of the airport that came out for our play table. (Don’t worry, the LEGOS are still here.) Bring that play to life by visiting the real airport in the village, or even the Public Airfield Viewing area at the Rochester Airport. The firehouse set, which replaces the pirate ship and hideout, also came out just in time for our October visit from the Juniors at Dansville Fire Department and Dansville Ambulance.
New in our children’s area is a collection of phonics and other learn-to-read resources. Has your child’s teacher encouraged them to work on their reading at home? Try one of our skill-building book set boxes, a sound & letters game, or a touch-and-read sound-it-out set. Phonics resources can be found above the board books in our Story Alcove, a small area filled with letter, number, color, and shape toys and more. It’s also where we host storytime on Tuesday evenings. Reading to your child, with your child, and in front of your child is one of the surest ways to help them become confident readers themselves. Don’t worry: you don’t need to dig into difficult classics to make this strategy work! Any book, magazine, or audiobook makes a difference.
Individual Program Information
(Dansville, NY) – What could we accomplish if we all worked together? Find out during The Great Give Back, a statewide volunteer initiative led by public libraries each October. This year, The Great Give Back is partnering with the New York State Library as part of NY250 to encourage libraries across the state to connect their communities with meaningful volunteer opportunities in support of America Gives.
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.
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 
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.
