Annual Report to the Community
July 22-June 23
It’s hard to believe it’s time for another update on what’s been going on at the library, where time is strange and seems to go extra fast! But we are able to cram a lot into our 22 hours each week, and we’ve enjoyed having so many amazing patrons join the fun!
This past year, we focused on rearranging bookshelves to make more floor space and to add a second table for patrons to use. We underwent extensive weeding of our collection to make room for new books. We received a grant from the Findley Lake Community Foundation for $1,000, allowing us to purchase 99 new books! 70 of them were for the Junior Books section—a slew of new non-fiction and biographies, which introduced new series to us: History Smashers, a large selection from the Who HQ series, several Magic Treehouse Fact Checker books, as well as the I Survived Graphic novels. They have been very popular with kids and parents, and we look forward to adding even more of them to our collection. The FLCF grant also helped us purchase 29 new non-fiction and biographies for our adult patrons.
A second generous grant from the FLCF will allow us to install a Wireless Access Point and update our data wiring, which will help patrons access Wifi outside the building, so it can be used even when we’re not open. The project is slated for completion this summer or fall.
We held a new fundraiser and raffled off a kayak, vest, and safety whistle to raise funds for the Summer Reading program. We also received a Summer Reading Mini-Grant for $500 from the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library system (the 38 system we are part of), which was a huge help in the purchase of supplies and prizes.
July and August of 2022 brought Summer Reading, and the theme was “Oceans of Possibilities.” We held weekly Storytimes and crafts for kids, hosted several StoryWalks on the Nature Trail behind the Community Center, dug for seashells and toys in sandboxes, handed out lots of To-Go Crafts, and readers took home lots of prizes. Adults wrote book reviews for chances to win prizes, and a few attended a Digital Literacy class to learn how to use the Libby app to access ebooks and audiobooks. CCLS had their first Road Trip, inviting patrons to grab a map, hit the road, and see if they could visit all 38 libraries in our system. Two of our patrons were the 2nd and 3rd people to finish the road trip. The program brought around 70 new visitors to our library, and all of them were kind, enthusiastic, and utterly charmed by our fun, creative, and welcoming atmosphere. Once again we teamed up with the Clymer-French Creek Free Library and the Clymer-Findley Lake Summer Recreation for a few Wednesday programs. Molly Brown, of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, came back to teach us soil painting, Gyotaku (Japanese fish printing), and we made colorful mood jars with floating ocean creatures, shells, and glitter.
In terms of programming, our Book Club continues to grow, adding more voices to our book discussions. Our Arts & Crafts for Adults is a small but mighty group, and we have some very interesting conversations while crafting. We held an Earth Day Celebration and Plant-stravaganza, where we gave out plant cuttings, started a seed library, and had a Master Gardener teach us how to make newspaper pots and properly plant seeds. We also had patrons sign up for the newly formed Garden Club. At our first meeting, we toured the garden out back behind the Community Center and discussed our plans and set goals for the year—mainly to edge the garden to help contain it, and to make it easy for the maintenance man to mow around it. Stop by over the summer to see our progress, or help out by pulling a few weeds!
We are almost halfway through June already (the time, it flies!), and are gearing up for another exciting Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is “All Together Now.” CCLS is also doing the Road Trip again this year, and it’s sure to bring out even more new visitors.
Annual Report to the Community: July 2020-June 2021
Annual Report to the Community: July 2021-June 2022
2022-2026 Strategic Plan Goals:
Goal 1 – Library Services: Implement industry standards and best practices with regard to library services
Goal 2 – Arts & Culture: Offer creative programming and services to meet the needs of patrons and the community
Goal 3 – Human Resources: Ensure that staff and volunteers are adequately trained and supported
Goal 4 – Community Support: Strengthen the library through outreach and communication efforts directed to members, donors, and the community
Goal 5 – Organizational Development: Ensure organization sustainability through adequate planning, organizational policies, and governance oversight