Westerlo Library Notes for Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Happy Birthday to us! On June 8, the Westerlo Public Library will mark its 30th anniversary of service to the town of Westerlo.
Our grand opening was held on Sunday, June 8, 1986. But, the journey began in earnest 10 years earlier when the town’s national bicentennial committee established a public library fund with monies left over from the bicentennial celebrations.
Then, the big breakthrough came in December 1983, when Harold Bell donated the general store building to the town in memory of his wife, Helen Taylor Bell.
For two-and-a-half years, a variety of community organizations and individual volunteers dedicated innumerable hours renovating the building, which had no plumbing or central heating. Local librarians volunteered to catalog the books, most which had been donated. More volunteers typed thousands of catalog cards (sometimes wearing gloves in the unheated building during the winter) to get the books shelf-ready for the public.
Since then, the library has moved forward into the electronic age with high speed internet access, Wi-Fi, an on-line catalog and account management, all while maintaining our friendly personalized service, relaxed atmosphere and providing an ample selection of new items on the shelves for our browsing patrons.
This library has been a community project from the beginning. We are committed to providing the highest level of library services to the people of Westerlo for many years to come.
Read to Angus the Dog
Angus will be back next Friday, June 10, from 5 to 6 p.m. Contact the library to register your child for a 15-minute reading session, or just drop in to “check it out” (Librarians love saying, “check it out.”)
If your child is self-conscious about reading aloud or reluctant to read at all, he or she may feel more comfortable reading to a dog. Because dogs aren’t judgmental, the child relaxes, pats the attentive dog, and focuses on the reading. Another benefit is the joy children get from being around a dog.
Angus is a registered therapy dog. Our thanks to Laura Tenney for volunteering her time and sharing Angus with us.
Town-wide garage sale
The 11th annual town-wide garage sale will be held next Saturday, June 11. The town museum board sponsors this annual event to raise funds for our sister organization, the Westerlo Heritage Museum.
If you would like to hold a sale on your property or at the town pavilion, please mail your registration form and $15 fee by June 3. Your sale will be listed on a map and advertised in the capital district. Registration forms have been distributed to the library, the post office, and other sites throughout the area.
The museum will sell refreshments, baked goods, and maps to sale sites on the day of the sale at the Westerlo town park pavilion on County Route 401, starting at 8 a.m. Call Kate at 797-3295 for more information.
Story time
From 11 a.m. to noon on Wednesday mornings Miss Lee presents stories, songs, and movement activities designed for infants to children up to five years old. In addition to developing pre-reading skills, singing, moving to music, and playing instruments all help foster a sense of rhythm and timing that are essential elements in developing the part of a child’s brain that shapes math skills.
Story times are also a great opportunity to meet other parents of small children in Westerlo.
After school at the library
Join Miss Lee on Monday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for homework help, games, crafts, puzzles, music, and a lot more. Programs will also include storytelling, hands-on demonstrations, and visits from special guests. Lee is also available on Thursdays from 3 to 8 p.m. for homework help.
Technology walk-in Wednesday
Do you have a new Kindle or Nook but don’t know how to download books? Need to brush up on your computer skills or obtain basic skills? See Amy on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., for free, personalized, one-on-one instruction.
Library info
All library programming is free, unless otherwise noted, and open to the public. For more information, contact the library during business hours at 797-3415, visit westerlolibrary.org, or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/westerlolibrary.