A Library Card is ELEMENTAL!
Get in Your Element this September—sign up for a library card! From borrowing books, ebooks, and museum passes to getting homework help, learning new skills, or attending story time, a library card helps you do more of what you enjoy. Get a library card and dive into a new hobby. Use your library card to tinker in a makerspace and spark your creativity. A library card is your most important school supply—it’s elemental, really—and everyone should have one!
Celebrate and spread the word
Visit your library to see what’s new and take part in the celebration. Libraries across the country are participating. Do you have friends who don’t have a library card? Invite them to sign up during September.
How do you library? Enter for a chance to win!
[CLICK TO READ MORE]Creative Aging Art Programs
Made possible, in part, by the Essex County Arts Council’s Cultural Assistance Program Grant with funding provided by Essex County
Essex, NY
Create your own batik painting
July 21
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Belden Noble Memorial Library
2759 Essex Road
Essex, New York 12936
Upper Jay, NY
Create your own watercolor painting
August 3
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Wells Memorial Library
12230 Route 9N
Upper Jay, New York 12987
Westport, NY
Create your own acrylic painting
August 25
2:00 – 4:00 PM
Westport Library Association
6 Harris Lane
Westport, New York 12993
Please call 518-962-8219 to register
Wilmington, NY
Create your own batik painting
October 4
5:00 – 7:00 PM
Wilmington E.M. Cooper Memorial Public Library
5751 Route 86
Wilmington, New York 12997
Rhonda Appleseed & the Tree that Learned How to Speak
Rhonda is a descendant of Johnny Appleseed, and everyone calls her Ronnie. When she learns about her great great uncle’s story, she grows fascinated and then proud. Ronnie decides that she wants to follow in his footsteps. She decides she will protect nature and all the creatures on our planet from climate change. But how? She takes a journey to visit one of the beautiful, kind, wise old apple trees that Johnny planted so long ago to ask how she can help. The tree teaches her that her voice is needed to bring people together to do the right thing.
Support for this work is from Generous Acts at Adirondack Foundation – a force for good that pools gifts from generous donors who love the Adirondack region and care about our communities. Adirondack Foundation enhances the lives of the people in the Adirondacks through philanthropy. To learn more, visit adirondackfoundation.org/GenerousActs.
Dannemora, NY
August 2
11:30 AM
Dannemora Free Library
40 Emmons Street
Dannemora, New York 12929
Peru, NY
August 2
2:30 PM
Peru Free Library
3024 Route 22
Peru, New York 12972
Plattsburgh, NY
August 23
11:30 AM
Plattsburgh Public Library
19 Oak Street
Plattsburgh, New York 12921
Chazy, NY
August 23
3:00 PM
Chazy Public Library
1329 Fiske Road
Chazy, New York 12921
Summer Reading Programs in Your Library
Summer Reading at New York Libraries is an annual program that brings children and families into public libraries for reading and activities. Throughout Clinton Essex and Franklin counties, a total of 1,041 children registered within our member libraries for Summer Reading 2022. The total number of minutes read by participants was 157,591 and those who recorded by book read a total of 5,396 overall. Libraries offered many grab-and-go craft activities with a total participation of 1,672. The grand total of all programs that included parents and caregivers saw 1,761 participants.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]North Country Gardening and Fresh Food
During the month of May, our tri-county service area typically sees the final frost of the spring season. Whether you are new to gardening or have years of experience, the libraries throughout our system offer many resources to help nurture your green thumb. If you’re interested in eating fresh food but don’t want to start a garden, we also have information about eating local. Either way, you can enjoy the many benefits of fresh and nutritious food. Check out our guide that highlights books and videos on gardening that you can borrow, local organizations that you can contact, and how to find fresh, locally grown food in our area!
[CLICK TO READ MORE]Say Hello to Libby
On May 1, 2023, the legacy OverDrive app will be discontinued on both Android and iOS devices. But don’t worry, the newer Libby app – also available for Android and iOS devices – is still accessible with your library card. Libby allows you to borrow ebooks and e-audiobooks to read and listen to on your phone or tablet. You can even send and read your borrowed ebooks to your Kindle! It’s free and easy to get started for new users and for those who have already used the OverDrive app in the past. Want to read on a computer? You can still use the browser version of OverDrive at cefls.overdrive.com!
Want to get to know Libby better? Sign up for a free Getting Started with Libby webinar. This webinar will show you everything you need to know to get started with Libby or to make the switch from the OverDrive app. From downloading the app and signing in, to searching and borrowing titles, placing holds, adjusting your reading settings, and more, Libby experts are here to get you started. The session will even close with a live question and answer portion.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]April is Autism Acceptance Month
From our friends at the Autism Alliance of Northeastern NY:
In 2017, New Zealand officials added new words to the Maori language for mental health and disabilities. The word for Autism is “‘takiwatanga,” meaning “his or her own time and space.”
Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that commonly appears in children before the age of three. It is a disorder that impacts typical brain development in the areas of social interaction, communication, and cognitive function. As a spectrum disorder, autistic behaviors and traits are unique to each individual. That is why awareness, acceptance, and understanding are critical to helping people on the spectrum and their families.
This April, the Autism Alliance of Northeastern NY celebrates Autism Acceptance Month. We encourage our community to think about how we can make small changes to support and include people on the spectrum.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]Library Advocacy Day is February 28, 2023
Anyone can advocate for their public library! We need many voices to tell leaders in the Legislature why libraries are essential.
Advocacy helps to inform people about library services and their value to the community. It can influence important decisions about legislative and budget priorities in order to strengthen libraries in New York State and ensure that they have the resources to continue offering these important services.
The New York Library Association suggests various ways to tell your story about why libraries are important:
[CLICK TO READ MORE]Black History Month
Celebrate and learn more about Black History month with all of the great resources available to you for free with a library card. Find books and DVDs you can check out from your local library via our online catalog. Browse all of the ebooks and e-audiobooks available about African American History or check out African American Fiction titles. Visit our own Black History local guide to find out more about organizations and projects like the North Country Underground Historical Association (NCUGRHA) and the Secret Lives of the Underground Railroad, as well as educational resources.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]New Additions to the Team
We’d like to take a moment to welcome the newest additions to the Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System crew. First off, Rebecca Klein has joined as a library clerk in the Technical Services Department. Rebecca is a SUNY Plattsburgh history department alumna and aspiring archival librarian. When she isn’t reading about lesbian history or doing genealogical research, you can find her knitting, watching bad sci-fi movies with her fiancée, or playing with her cat Marceline. She’s been making quick work of dealing with interlibrary loans and rotating collections, helping us provide fresh titles to patrons in every corner of the three counties. And even more recently, Justin VanCour has also joined the team as an accounting clerk in the Administration Department. He comes to us with more than a decade of experience working in insurance and account clerk positions with Clinton County. Justin’s passions away from the office include music, writing, and Star Wars. He loves doing things with his family, including coaching his kids in youth sports. He’s been learning all about the ins and outs of the financial side of the Library System and member libraries. We’re so glad to have both Rebecca and Justin join and look forward to working with them to provide service to libraries and their patrons.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]