News

Volunteering is Patriotic

NYS Libraries Across New York take part in The Great Give Back

(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.

The Dansville Public Library is pleased to announce a collaboration with several local organizations to provide dignity care supplies to community members.

What: laundry detergent, dryer sheets, diapers (child/adult), wipes (baby/body), feminine hygiene products, deodorant, bed protector pads, disposable gloves, small trash bags, body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toiletry bags, hair combs, nail clippers, razors
When: October 1 – October 31, 2026
Where: Dansville Public Library near the Circulation Desk

But the library can’t do it alone. You can help by donating new, unused items to our collection bin at the library, located near our Circulation Desk.

“The America Gives initiative encourages volunteerism and calls on each of us to step up and help. We’re delighted to see libraries organize opportunities for people to take action in their communities,” said Lauren Moore, New York State Librarian. “By working together, we build social connections and community resilience, a fitting way to commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary.”

For the past 10 years, New York State’s public libraries have been organizing volunteer projects to benefit the communities they serve. The Great Give Back was launched by the Suffolk Cooperative Library System in 2017. From assembling and sending packages to U.S. Troops overseas to upcycling animal feed bags into fashionable totes to cleaning up beaches on Long Island, New Yorkers have shown up to have fun, meet their neighbors, and give back to their communities.

New York libraries will support the national America Gives initiative by logging Great Give Back volunteer hours, demonstrating public libraries’ dedication to building resilient communities.

To get involved or if you have questions, contact Megan Clement, Youth Coordinator, at mclement@owwl.org.

The New York State Library’s services, programs, and collections are made possible through federal Library Service and Technology Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information, please visit nysl.nysed.gov.

“Even now I remember those pictures, like pictures in a storybook one loved as a child. Radiant meadows, mountains vaporous in the trembling distance; leaves ankle-deep on a gusty autumn road; bonfires and fog in the valleys; cellos, dark window-panes, snow.”
― Donna Tartt

From the Director

Celebrating the Freedom to Read

October is a time when we begin to settle into the routines of fall, but it is also a time to celebrate an important principle at the heart of public libraries: the freedom to read.

October 4–10, 2026, is Banned Books Week, an annual event that highlights the importance of ensuring people have access to a wide range of ideas, perspectives, and stories. Libraries serve communities made up of people with different backgrounds, experiences, interests, and viewpoints. Our collections should reflect that diversity and provide opportunities for everyone to discover something new—even when a particular book or idea may challenge us.

At the September meeting, the Dansville Public Library Board of Trustees formally adopted the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statement. These documents affirm the library’s commitment to intellectual freedom and to providing access to materials representing a broad range of viewpoints.

This does not mean that every book in our collection will be right for every reader. It means that individuals and families have the opportunity to make their own choices about what they read, while the library works to maintain a collection that serves the community as a whole.

I encourage you to stop by the library this October, explore a new section, pick up a book you might not normally choose, and—perhaps most importantly—keep reading, questioning, and learning.

Thank you for supporting your public library and the freedom to explore ideas.

See you at the library!

Youth Services Updates

This month brings plenty of seasonal excitement to the youth area. In addition to our kitchen returning to the Enrichment Room for dramatic play, a volunteer high school artist, Maggie Tillman, has begun work on a mural that will start to bring our fairy vibe to life! It’s the first of a series of changes we have planned in order to make our Enrichment Room feel like walking into a curious fairy’s home.

Young kids have the opportunity this month to drop pumpkins in hopes of making them splat open, dress as their favorite character for our book-themed costume party, cuddle in their PJs for a not-so-spooky storytime, let their stuffies sleep over one night, or grab a s’more while trick-or-treating. Information about all our activities, and registration for those that require it, can be found on our online calendar.

Older kids at DHS are invited to join us at the high school for History Club! Last month, we started a partnership with Mrs. Evershed in the social studies department and Quinn Golden, president of Dansville Area History Society. History Club will meet monthly and feature activities and resources about student-selected topics of local, regional, and statewide interest. (If you were a member of Yorkers in high school, this will sound familiar.) Interested students can talk with Mrs. Evershed for more information.

We’re Hiring: Children & Family Services Coordinator

Dansville Public Library is seeking an enthusiastic, organized, and creative individual to serve as our new Children and Family Services Coordinator.

For more information, please see our Employment Opportunities page.

Individual Program Information

Message from the Director

As we say goodbye to summer and welcome the beginning of a new school year, I want to take a moment to celebrate what an incredible few months it has been at the library. The excitement and energy throughout the library this summer were remarkable. During the last three months, we welcomed more than 2,200 additional visitors compared to the same period last year. We also now have more active library cardholders than at any time since 2020!

Our collections have been busy as well. In August, we circulated more Adult Fiction books and more Children’s Chapter books than in any other month since before 2019. It is exciting to see so many members of our community discovering new books, revisiting favorite authors, and sharing the joy of reading.

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, making it the perfect time to remind everyone about the many resources available with a library card. For students and families, getting a library card is a great way to prepare for heading back to school. Beyond borrowing books, your library card provides free access to our digital library, online resources, and so much more.

If you don’t have a library card, September is the perfect time to get one. If you already have one, stop in and see what else our library has to offer!

See you at the library!

Youth Services Updates

Another summer reading program series has wrapped, but the dinosaurs remain: you can still stop in to play with our dinosaur toys, check out our soil strata mural (made by our teen volunteers Ava, Alison, and Joslyn), and read all kinds of books about our favorite prehistoric friends. Even as they linger, next summer’s reading can be seen way off on the horizon: mysteries will be hiding throughout the library leading up to next year’s theme, Mysteries Await at Your Library.

As the season changes, the work we do in the children’s area shifts as well. When you stop in, you will notice new dramatic play sets. You may see our library staff out and about at the schools or hosting programs around town. Our regular programs will be returning as well: storytime will be weekly on Tuesday evenings, STEM Session will be monthly meetings in the afternoon of the second Tuesday, Homeschool Hangout will be returning for monthly meetups, and there will even be regular opportunities for a junior version of Dungeons & Dragons modeled on the Drama & Danger Club.

Update 09/03/26  The monthly calendar below was replaced to reflect the corrected date of the Multiverse Pokémon night; the correct date is 09/30/26 and not 09/23/26 as originally listed.

Dansville Public Library is seeking an organized, detail-oriented Part-time Clerk to provide excellent customer service at the circulation desk and assist with the day-to-day operations of the library. This position performs a variety of clerical and customer service duties that contribute to an efficient, welcoming library environment.

• Immediate start
• 15-17 hours/week (days, evenings, & rotating Saturdays)
• $18-$19/hour
• NY State Retirement eligible
• Paid Holidays & Paid Sick Leave

The ideal candidate enjoys working with the public, is comfortable managing multiple priorities, and demonstrates professionalism, accuracy, and discretion when handling confidential information.

For full position description, please see the Part-time Clerk Position Description

TO APPLY

Complete an Employment Application Form, available online and at the Dansville Public Library main desk. Email completed application to Margo Prak, Library Director at dansvillelibrarydirector@owwl.org.

Priority consideration will be given to applications received by July 22, 2026.

Summer is officially here, and so are our summer library programs for all! Whether you choose to join our reading challenge, only want to attend special events, or decide to do it all, we have something for everyone!

This year’s summer programs are largely made possible by a donation from the Dansville Rotary Club. Because of their generosity in supporting early literacy and our children’s programs, we are able to offer our special events as well as meals during our evening programs.

View our summer programs brochure to see everything at a glance.

Additional information about all of our programs and their registration can be found on our online calendar.

Are you ready to Unearth a Story this summer??

Summer Reading Challenge Sign-ups have begun! If you’d like to read and participate for rewards, do so soon: the challenge and events begin June 27 with a summer programs launch party on the lawn.

How do I register?
You can register by using our online form, or completing a physical form in the library or by printing it and bringing it in.

How do I participate?
You can take part in the reading challenge for rewards by completing 5 or more reading tasks or side quest tasks each week. Rewards are earned for participating and completing your weekly goals.

Do I have to do the reading challenge to do the other summer programs?
You don’t have to be part of the challenge to take part in the many programs we’re offering this summer (although it will make our librarian hearts a little sad). We want you to celebrate summer at the library in whatever works best for you! Everyone has their own story to unearth at their own pace.

What are the rewards? 
They vary by age group, but we have something for everyone! We’ll share more information about the rewards at the summer reading programs launch party on June 27; reading challenge participants can pick up their program info, and anyone can join in on all the dinosaur fun we have planned!

Dinosaurs didn’t read, and look what happened to them…

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.

From the Director

The end of June will bring the 2025-2026 fiscal year to a close. The 2026-2027 levy was approved by voters: this increased support will allow the Library to continue the highest level of service to our community while investing in the building and resources that allow us to do so.

We will also say goodbye to current Board President and long time trustee, Rhea Walker, as her current term ends at the end of June. She will have served the Library as a trustee for many years.  Her departure enables us to say hello to new trustee Drew Baker, who was elected by write-in votes to serve on the board for five years. He and his family have been active supporters of the Library.

Youth Services Updates

The youth side of the library continues to evolve! Some of our materials have physically moved to allow for expansion: kids’ DVDs are on a rack, kids’ audiobooks are below the glass wall and case, and beginner books are where DVD and audio have been.

The biggest change you’ll see in the Junior collection is bins within the sections. Some of our most popular books and characters are written by different authors, so we’ve put them together to make them easier to find.
>> Picture books have bins for Bluey, the Chicka Chicka series, Curious George, I Spy, Pete the Cat, Splat the Cat, and Sesame Street.
>> Beginner bins are still in progress.
>> Chapter books have bins for the A-Z Mysteries, American Girl series, DC comics, Encyclopedia Brown, My Weird School, Pokemon, Puppy Place, R.L. Stine’s Rotten School, Time Warp Trio, Unicorn Diaries.
>> Fiction books have bins for Dear America and Minecraft.
>> Graphic novels have bins for Babysitters’ Club and Babysitters’ Club – Little Sisters, DC Comics, the Far Out series, and Marvel.

We’re working on developing our selection of Playaway audiobooks and Wonderbooks, so be sure to stop by the spinners in the youth section to see what’s new!

Summer nights at Williams Park Gazebo are for music! Starting June 1, make the most of your Monday evening by bringing your camp chairs, a blanket, and a picnic dinner to enjoy while listening to a variety of local and regional artists. These concerts are made possible by a variety of local sponsors and the Library.