Pre-register for Windows 7 demo at Beach library
Weekly Activities
Preschool Story Hour starts at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 22.
Seashell crafts session on Thursday, Sept. 23, 10:30 a.m. Pre-register and $3 materials fee.
Upcoming Activities
If you want to have better command of Windows 7, consider the one hour demo scheduled on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 10:30 a.m. Pre-registration is needed.
Reading
We find that adult visitors to the Beach often stop at the library to catch up on their reading during vacations. While children and youth are not as quick to adopt the same habit, it may be important for families to keep in mind its value. Several studies document the slide in reading skills once school lets out each spring/summer. According to the National Summer Learning Association, the decline in reading and spelling skills can be as high the equivalent of about two months of school each summer.
Now new research offers a surprisingly simple solution to this slide. A study, financed by the federal Dept of Education, tracked the reading habits and test scores of more than 1,300 Florida children from 17 low-income schools. By enabling children to choose titles, they posted significantly higher test scores than children who received selected titles. This conclusion confirms other studies suggesting that children learn best when they are allowed to select their own books.
We have added new book shelves in the children’s area to promote better display and enable children to browse. The shelves are a bit higher than needed for children’s but the shelving will transfer to another area in the new library and we wanted to be sure the contractor has time to complete all of the custom work by the time the library construction is finished. We know from experience that much of what adults check out from public libraries is via browsing. It is reasonable to expect that children will benefit from the same opportunity.
Design
The way in which we plan libraries today has changed significantly. Space is defined in response to anticipated user patterns. Previously, space was often laid out in response to carefully defined comparative library standards, such as the number of the books to be housed, the number of seats for a particular style of study, or the number of square feet required for a specific technical support function.
We have spent a lot of time in designing the expansion for the library. I am convinced some current non-users will become library patrons once they let themselves see the new options. We listened carefully as to what current and non-users sought to experience in a library and how they looked at space. More details next week on these hopes and needs.
Library Hours
Don’t remember library hours? Call for information. When we are closed, a recorder gives the hours of operation, either on 765-8162 or on 765-8163. Except for holidays, which would be mentioned on the recorder, we are open Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We look forward to seeing you.