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DIRECTOR'S LOG ARCHIVES




Schiavo Library: December 2017 Newsletter

December Crafts
At our Makerspace Table this month, we will feature several special holiday crafts. Children can make a reindeer or Christmas tree ornament out of popsicle sticks or a candy cane ornament using beads.

Winter Movie Matinees (Thursday -1:00pm)
December 7: Holiday Inn (75th Anniversary edition)
December 14: Come Dance with Me (Hallmark movie)
December 21 : Last Holiday (a personal favorite)

Books under the Tree
We are continuing our annual tradition – books under the tree! What better present than a book! Come in and choose one for you or a friend.

For the Holiday
In movie theaters now – The Man Who Invented Christmas. This movie is adapted from the book of the same name by Les Standiford. It’s the story of Dickens writing A Christmas Carol. At the time he wrote it, he was at a low point in his career: it was written and self-published in just six weeks. The movie stars Dan Stevens (from “Downton Abbey”) and Christopher Plummer. Look for it in a theater near you.

Holiday Hours
Our schedule for the holidays:
Open Dec. 23
Closed from Dec. 24 to January 1
Reopen Tuesday, January 2, 2018

A Special Note from the Director
I will be retiring at the end of January, 2018. I’ve loved this job since the first moment I stepped in the door back in late October 2009. I will miss it, but the library will continue to be open and thrive under the capable hands of my assistant, Melissa Warren. She will step up and be the new director starting in February.


Happy Holidays!
Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library: November 2017 Newsletter 

Vote Here: Nov. 7
Again this year voters in Strathmere will be using the library instead of the fire hall. Voting is here from 6 am to 8 pm. The library is open for voting but closed for library business that day.

Revised Check-out Periods:
For the winter we will extend check-out periods for books (and audiobooks) to 30 days and for DVDs to 14 days. Don’t forget: you can always renew by phone or email.

Fall and Flowers: 
Thanks to Karen Mitchell’s green thumb and a mild fall, we still have beautiful flowers around our sign. Can’t believe we will get to enjoy them into November. Thanks again, Karen!


Thanksgiving:
The library will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday and Friday. Melissa will be here on Saturday with normal hours.


Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library: October 2017 Newsletter

October Perks
This month we will be offering FREE DVD rentals. Come in and choose your favorite movie. Hopefully we have something you like. If not, suggest a movie and we can try to purchase it for the library. You can’t lose! Also in October and November we will have a drawing for a mystery prize. Check out a book and enter the drawing. You may win!

Fake News and Libraries
Americans struggle to decide what news source they should trust. A recent Pew Research Center Poll shows that the majority of adults find libraries helpful in this search. And surprisingly Millennials are the most ardent library fans.

How to spot fake news (a quick guide):
• Consider the Source (investigate the site, its mission and contact info.)
• Check the Author (Are they credible? Are they real?)
• Check the Date (Reposting of old stories doesn’t mean they’re relevant.)
• Check your Biases (Do your own beliefs affect your judgment?) • Read beyond (Headlines an be outrageous to grab your attention. What’s the whole story?)
• Supporting Sources (Click on those links. Does the info. actually support the story?)
• Is it a Joke? (It might be satire.)
• Ask the Experts (Ask a librarian or consult a fact-checking site.)

Mah Jongg
Mah Jongg continues here at the library, but days and hours vary. Everyone welcome; just call the library to get up-to-date information: 609 486-6265.


Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library: September 2017 Newsletter

Used Book Sale
Our eighth annual end of summer book sale is happening now! Library hours are generally 10-4pm. Some days we open earlier. Stop in - the sale goes on until the end of September.

September News
September is “Amnesty Month.” NO FINES are collected for overdue books! September returns to normal off-season hours – NO Thursday evening hours. Mah Jongg continues here this fall – times vary, so call the library for more information.

Have You Read this Yet?
According to ReadingGroupGuides.com  the five most popular “book group” books this summer were:
'A Gentleman in Moscow' by Amor Towles
'A Man Called Ove' by Fredrik Backman
'The Nightingale' by Krisin Hannah
'Commonwealth' by Ann Patchett
'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr

Our most popular book was: 'Small Great Things' by Jodi Picoult and our most popular DVD was: 'Hidden Figures'.

Back to School Ideas
The website: The Tech Edvocate (www.thetechedvocate.org) has several lists of educational apps for teachers and parents. We have a copy of “The Tech Edvocate’s List of 99 Curriculum and Instruction Apps, Tools and Resources. “ Go online to see what other lists are available. Have a great fall!

Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library: August 2017 Newsletter

Raffle Winners
We had two drawings this year. The “Family Fun Basket” was won by Rose Rhine (for the second year in a row). The BIG Teddy Bear was won by Lukas Capobianco. Congratulations!



Summer Events
Here is a photo from our Puppet Workshop. The other photo is from the evening Poetry Event. Thank you Marya and Karen; loved the poetry readings. Hope we can do it again.





Children’s Activities
We still have a couple more weeks of our children’s activities for the summer; please join us for:
• Story Time – Tuesday 10:30 – 11:00am
• LEGO Club – Tuesday 11:00-11:30am


End of Summer Used Book Sale
Save the dates: Sept. 1 – Sept. 30th. Get your bargains here!



Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library: July 2017 Newsletter

Summer Hours & Summer Programs
Our summer hours are here. We’ll be open additional hours on Thursdays from 10 am to 8 pm. Children’s programs start on July 11th and our special family event for July is the Wetlands Terrapin Release Program on July 13 at 6:00pm. Please join us rain or shine!

Children’s Summer Programs
Storybook Time is on Tuesdays at 10:30 (all ages welcome) and LEGO club is right after that. We have a summer reading program, “Fetch a Good Book” and a children’s drawing contest. Stop in for more information on these. This summer there is no scheduled craft time, but we have a “Makerspace Table” set up for crafts and science activities - available all day.

Used Book Sale:
Our “Welcome Summer” used book sale was a big hit as usual. We had 204 people visit the library to browse and buy. Our total profit was $584.75. We really appreciate the book donations all year long. Thank you!

Other Summer Events for Families:
Art Show – Mary Reola’s paintings are on display now and Jane Golas’ paintings will be returning
Puppet Workshop Day – July 19 (all day)
Family BINGO Night – July 20 7:00pm
Poetry Day – July 27 10-11am (children) and 7-8 pm (adults)
Team Scavenger Hunt – August 3 7:00pm
Two Raffle Drawings for a Family Fun Basket and a BFG Teddy Bear – drawing July 28


Thank you to Karen Mitchell for the beautiful flowers planted out front and for helping to organize the Poetry Day event. Happy Summer everyone!


Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library: June 2017 Newsletter 

Used Book Sale
Our Welcome Summer Used Book Sale continues until June 17. There’s still plenty of selection. Come in and browse. The last week will be our “Fill A Bag for $2” sale.

Summer Brochures
Our new 2017 summer brochure is ready. It lists our children and adult programs and special summer events. Lots of special happenings - stop in the library often to learn all about them. More details will be shared in the July newsletter.

8th Anniversary of the Library
Our Eighth Anniversary will be celebrated on June 27th with balloons and cupcakes. Come in and help us celebrate 8 wonderful years as a library!

Early Summer Happenings
The library will be closed on July 4th so that everyone can participate in Strathmere’s celebrations.
Regular children’s programs will begin the week of July 11th.
Our Turtle Program will be July 13th.

New Display:
Can you guess what it is? Stop in and find out!




Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library: May 2017 Newsletter

New Listening Center
We recently received a wonderful donation of over 250 CDs from a longtime friend, Steve. They are classical, opera and pop. I thought the best way to share this collection would be to create a “listening center” here at the library. So, you can either enjoy the music here using headphones (yours or ours) or check out a CD to try out at home.

Used Book Sale: May 25
Our next used book sale will begin on May 25th. Save the date! Lots of books – very cheap! The sale will last about 3 weeks. Any questions, call the library: (609) 486-6265. If you would like to help set up the sale, please call us.

Mahjong Lessons with Wendy
Wendy is continuing with mahjong lessons on Fridays. Call or email the library: we need your phone number and email address so that Wendy can get in touch with you in case of changes. If you’re not a member of the library, a small donation is appreciated.

Display Case
Help! We have an empty display case! Do you have a collection you would like to share? I bet it would look great in our very-secure glass display case. Stop in and discuss some ideas with us.

Summer Preview
This summer we’ll have old favorites and exciting new projects. Old favorites – story hour, LEGO club, and Terrapin Release Program. New projects - a makerspace table that will be available at all times (for crafts and science experiments) and WII game system for active indoor fun (especially on those rainy days). More information in the June newsletter.


Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library: April 2017 Newsletter

National Library Week: April 9-15, 2017
Join us for National Library Week. A great time to celebrate all kinds of libraries. Find a good book and enjoy a cupcake, too.

Looking for a Good Book?
The Perfect Horse by Elizabeth Letts I would recommend this book if you like history, horses and a really good story. It’s about the daring rescue of the famous Lipizzaner horses of Vienna during the final days of World War II.

Spring Mahjong Lessons
Wendy Dougherty has agreed to again give Mahjong lessons here at the library. She will be available on Fridays in April and May between 10:30-12:30. If you are interested, please call the library (609 486-6265). We need your name, phone number and email address so that Wendy can contact you. The lessons will be free for Schiavo Library members and $4 for non-members. Wendy says that beginners should figure on at least two 2-hour lessons to feel comfortable at open games.

Earth Day (April 22) and Recycling
Here at the Schiavo Library, we’re really great at recycling! We constantly recycle books. We’ve been taking in used book donations all winter and our next sale will start right before Memorial Day weekend – May 25 and probably last at least 3 weeks! Save the dates and get your recycled books here!

Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library: March 2017 Newsletter

New Movies Based on Books:
If you like to read the book before you see the movie, get reading. These movies are coming out in March and April. For more movies based on books, check out this website (20 Books to read before they become movies): www.elle.com/culture/books/g29305/movies-based-on-books-2017/




More Art at the Library:
This summer we will be displaying more art work by local artists. Stop in often and see what’s on the walls. Maybe you’ll find that perfect painting.

First Day of Spring: March 20:
Hang in there – spring is just around the corner!


 Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library February 2017 Newsletter

February Schedule - 
Just a reminder - the library will be closed for the first two weeks of February again this year. This will provide needed maintenance time. We’ll be reopening on February 14th with our regular schedule. I will be in Florida, so Melissa Warren, my assistant, will be covering the library. Her hours will be 9-3:00pm Tuesday - Friday and 10-4:00pm Saturday. I’ll be back at the beginning of March.

Take Your Child to the Library Day – Feb. 4 -
There’s an official day for everything – so, don’t miss a chance to take a child to the library on February 4th or any day of the year. Libraries are very special places. Or if you’re looking for a great February book for your child or grandchild, check out the website: www.the-best-childrens-books.org They have comprehensive lists for every occasion. For Valentine’s Day I recommend Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli and The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond. We have them right here in the library.

Love Your Pet Day – Feb. 20
If you would like to read a novel or memoir about pets, stop in to the library and try one of these:



Library Quote 
“A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. “ Andrew Carnegie

February: Library Lovers’ Month 
Last, but not least: February is Library Lovers’ Month. So, if you love your local library, show it! Write notes of gratitude to your local librarian or maybe even better - write your local politicians and tell them how important our libraries are to everyone! Or donate books, money or even your own time to your local library. I’m sure that they will appreciate it.


Christine Rohrman, Library Director




Schiavo Library: January 2017 Newsletter

Facebook Presence
Melissa has recently created a new page for the library on Facebook. It’s full of photos of library activities and events. I’m sure that you will enjoy browsing through it. So, look us up: www.facebook.com/schiavolibrary and don’t forget to LIKE US.

National Hot Tea Month
January is the perfect choice for National Hot Tea Month. So, we’re celebrating with a little contest: Coffee versus Tea. What’s your preference? Come in and tell us what you like and you’ll have a chance to win a prize.



Food Collection Box
We are still collecting food for the local food banks. Please take a moment to go through your pantry and see what you can contribute. Thanks!

January 19th – Popcorn Day
Another fun fact: January 19th is Popcorn Day. We’ll be popping up some fresh popcorn that day – stop in and warm up.

Game Day
Like board games or card games? Let us know and we will set up a day of the week for games in the library. You don’t want to play alone – so, talk your friends into participating, too. Bring along a favorite game – Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Rummy, Poker, etc. We’ll provide a cozy and warm place this winter.


Christine Rohrman, Library Director





      




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