Director’s Report
May/June 2024
There’s a brief lull in the increasing busyness of our recent days, and I’m grateful to have a moment to share with you what has been, and will be happening at the Varnum this summer.
Paul is moving books, chairs and boxes in preparation of the book sale and the space needed for the pop-up Make Music Day concert today, as well as the Jon Gailmor performance tomorrow, and the commencement of the Lit(erature) Lunch Bunch program on Monday, June 24th. Paul has given the Varnum over 85 hours this month.
As listed below, you will see that we have had a second monthly reporting of over 1,000 visits to the Varnum. As well as 13 new user accounts made. Story Time (youngest users) and Coffee and Conversations (“retired” users) continue to be our strongest anchors in programming.
We will be hosting 60+ youth from our community and the surrounding communities who are enrolled in the summer camps being held at the CCC. They will bring the children over in groups of 20 so they can have access to books (in-house use) during their summer. We will be working creatively to accommodate pop-up story hours for these youth.
I will share with you that it has been a personal goal of mine as Director to make the Varnum an approved summer meal site for the community. Through strong community connections and coordination, we are finally here. Monday we will begin serving free, open-access lunches and breakfasts to all aged 18 and younger. I can tell you from personal experience how valuable and impactful this program is. Yes, it’s about reading through the summer, but it’s part of the larger picture of being a resource and meeting the needs of our community in whatever capacity we can.
Additionally through the summer programming you will see:
Our Amazing Butterflies! with Jerry Schneider
Tick Smart! with Lamoille County Health Department
S’mores STEM with Rachel Rose
Help Me Grow! with LCHD
The Wonderful World of Bats! with Jerry Schneider
CLiF Summer Readers Author Visit and Book Give-a-way
Energy Smart Home Audits
and more to come…….
These are all in addition to lunches being served 5 days a week, two (scheduled) Story Times, Boundless Book Club, Adult Crafting, Scavenger Hunts, Coloring Club, Coffee and Conversations.
Our weeks are increasingly full, and it takes the entire staff working as a team to make the library run at the capacity we’re seeing. Perhaps the schedule of events and programming look a little different from what has been done in decades past, but we are responding to, as well as creating new ways in which our community demonstrates needs and wants. We still offer our park passes, historic site passes, ECHO reduced-rate pass, Shelburne Farm and Museum reduced-rate pass, Read-and-Win Champlain Valley Fair ribbons etc.
Thank you to Jen Bartlau for joining the Board, and for taking the important position as Secretary. I also want to thank Carol Plante, who helped find a professional musician to perform for us (Free!), and for being a strong support to the Varnum in so many capacities.
If you have specific questions, please ask. I do my best to get through my emails, and I’m not always able to do so as quickly as I would like, but I will eventually respond!
Respectfully Submitted,
Aurora River