July 6, 2026 Librarian’s report
Personnel –Saratoga County’s Summer Youth Employment Program started June 29 and will run through August 13.
2nd Quarter programs – In April we had a monthlong exhibit – Messages From Survivors that brought a lot of interest. We also had a talk from Rena Bernstein who is a local Holocaust survivor which was well attended. Story Hour took place in April & May, with a special story hour featuring Dianna Collura & Derek Briner reading stories to help parents and children think about online safety. Farm 2 Library resumed in April and the program is very popular. Cornell Cooperative Extension gave us a Seed Library with flower, herb, and veggie seeds to make available for people to take for free. The Big Read concluded at the end of June. We had a small number of people who created artwork for the program and a small, loyal group of creative writers who met twice a month. We ended with an open mic night for the writers to share their works, and we had an art show for the visual artists to display their works with the display remaining in the case throughout June. Rachel Clothier from the Corinth Museum gave a slide / lecture on events in Corinth during the year 1943 through the eyes of diarist Estella Kennedy who was the head nurse at the IP mill. In June we hosted CCS kindergarteners and second graders as well as a group from the King School. In addition, Gretchen went to the school to talk with the pre-K group and the first grade. Gretchen also staffed a table at the CCS Elementary Community Night. Gretchen borrowed a Story Walk from SALS that was very popular with the visiting school groups.
Upcoming programs – We have started the Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is Unearth a Story. In addition to the reading challenge, we have several programs scheduled including two with musical guests thanks to funding from Stewart’s Shops (thanks to Gretchen for that). Story Hour also resumes in July and runs through the end of the Summer Reading Program in mid-August.
SALS & Directors’ Council – SALS has been updating their website. Trustee information and training opportunities are under Governance. Under Our Services is a link to member services that leads to helpful and useful information. I encourage you to explore the new SALS website. SALS annual meeting was held at the Queensbury Hotel in May, they gave each library a fun award – ours is The Ultra Marathoner Award. The last couple of years have brought many changes to SALS staffing as well as a new director to JA. This is resulting in changes as to be expected. They are also updating their Plan of Service. SALS is now using a billing service and so is no longer hands on with finances. Checks are still an option and they are now offering online payments; however, we would need to make an account with Bill.com and the account would need to be associated the email that receives the bill.
Joint Automation Council / computers – Jesse Jensen is the new head of JA. The new Vega Discover catalog is live. There will be a link to the old catalog for a while for those who prefer it. PC purchase order encountered problems with pricing increases, and I haven’t heard if our order has been placed yet.
Friends – The annual book sale will take place July 25.
Maintenance –The front porch has been cleaned, the windows washed, and the rugs cleaned. The AC was not working properly when it came time to turn it on. It ran fine, but did not cool. LaPan’s Precision did a service call, charged the machine and it is now working well.
Other – As time allows, I am working on cleaning out files and work areas. We joined the Talking Book & Braille Library as an institution member, and have received equipment for demonstration purposes. We have received museum passes for The Wild Center, The Children’s Museum of Saratoga, and the Hyde Collection, and are waiting for the passes to arrive from the Adirondack Experience. The hoped for summer concert here with the Luzerne Music Camp will not happen this year, but is a possibility for next year. The proposition on the CCS budget vote passed (186 to 84). Our annual report was submitted on time – which was quite a bit later than usual due to the new reporting software. Our report to the community graphic and brochure have been distributed and/or posted as required.
Meetings attended in 2nd quarter of 2026:
- 4/16 webinar
- 4/28 webinar
- 5/5 Directors Council
- 5/5 webinar
- 5/13 Rural Libraries Roundtable
- 5/18 SALS Annual Meeting
- 5/19 CCS Community Night (Gretchen)
- 6/1 CCS Honor Society meeting
- 6/1 webinar