Homework Helpers | Mon – Wed @ 3-8 pm; Thu – Fri @ 3-6 pm; Sat all day | grades K-8

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Need help with homework or a quiet place to study? Students in kindergarten to eighth grade are invited to drop by our Homework Center throughout the week and use computers specifically reserved for research, studying, and writing! Live tutoring is available online through Tutor.com, free with your library card. Free in-person tutoring is also provided by volunteer teen tutors. The availability of in-person tutoring is not guaranteed and the tutoring schedule is subject to change based on volunteer availability. The in-person tutoring schedule for the current week is posted on the door to the Homework Center each week. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): The supervising library staff member may provide basic assistance (e.g. clarifying homework instructions, locating homework resources, etc) but will not provide tutoring services. Teens providing tutoring services are members of the library’s Teen Service Group and can sign up for volunteer tutor hours at the monthly Teen Service Group meeting. Teens will indicate their strengths/areas of tutoring expertise when signing up and may volunteer for as many hours as desired throughout the week. Teens are allowed and encouraged to work on their own homework when their tutoring services are not requested. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One children’s department staff member will supervise at the Homework Center help desk. 

    • Budget: $0.00. Computers, headphones, and miscellaneous study materials (lined paper, pencils, pens, erasers, etc) are available as the library’s existing resources. No additional costs are anticipated and shall be assessed as they arise. 

**This program runs September – May during the academic year. The last session before summer will be Saturday, May 17. The program will resume on Saturday, August 23.   

Storytimes:

Baby Lapsit Storytime | Mondays @ 9 – 10:30 am | 0-18 months

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us every Monday morning in the Community Room for an interactive lapsit-style program for babies (0 to 18 months old) and their caregivers! This weekly storytime supports early literacy, motor development, and social interaction through stories, music, dancing, and play. We will read board books and engage in songs, fingerplays, and movement activities, followed by “Stay & Play”—a time for families to connect as their little ones play together! No registration required. This is a hybrid program, held in-person in the library’s Community Room and simultaneously livestreamed via Zoom. The recorded storytime is also subsequently uploaded to the library’s YouTube channel for delayed viewing. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): The library’s social media specialist will edit the Zoom recording as needed and upload it to the library’s YouTube channel after the live event. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One children’s librarian will lead the storytime, with support from additional library staff or teen volunteers as needed. 

    • Budget: $0.00. Books, crafts, and other materials taken from the library’s existing resources. Additional supplies may be purchased as needed, not to exceed $100.00 per month. 

Toddler Tales Storytime | Tuesdays @ 10 – 11:30 am | ages 1-3

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us every Tuesday morning in the Community Room for our toddler storytime, designed for ages 1 to 3! This weekly storytime supports early literacy, motor development, and social interaction through stories, music, dancing, and play. We will read board books or picture books and engage in songs, fingerplays, and movement activities, followed by “Stay & Play”—a time for families to connect as their little ones play together! No registration required. This is a hybrid program, held in-person in the library’s Community Room and simultaneously livestreamed via Zoom. The recorded storytime is also subsequently uploaded to the library’s YouTube channel for delayed viewing. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): The library’s social media specialist will edit the Zoom recording as needed and upload it to the library’s YouTube channel after the live event. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One children’s librarian will lead the storytime, with support from additional library staff or teen volunteers as needed. 

    • Budget: $0.00. Books, crafts, and other materials taken from the library’s existing resources. Additional supplies may be purchased as needed, not to exceed $100.00 per month. 

Preschool Storytime | Thursdays @ 10 – 11:30 am | ages 3-6 

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us every Thursday morning in the Community Room for our preschool storytime, designed for ages 3 to 6! This weekly storytime supports early literacy, motor development, and social interaction through stories, music, dancing, play, and crafts. We will read picture books and engage in songs, movement, and flannel board activities, followed by a craft activity that will vary every week. No registration required. This is a hybrid program, held in-person in the library’s Community Room and simultaneously livestreamed via Zoom. The recorded storytime is also subsequently uploaded to the library’s YouTube channel for delayed viewing. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): The library’s social media specialist will edit the Zoom recording as needed and upload it to the library’s YouTube channel after the live event. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One children’s librarian will lead the storytime, with support from additional library staff or teen volunteers as needed. 

    • Budget: $0.00. Books, crafts, and other materials taken from the library’s existing resources. Additional supplies may be purchased as needed, not to exceed $100.00 per month. 

Family Storytime | Wednesdays @ 6 – 7:30 pm | all ages 

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us every Wednesday night in the Community Room for our family storytime, open to all ages! Bring the whole family to the library to support early literacy, motor development, and social interaction through stories, music, dancing, play, and crafts. We will read picture books and engage in songs, dancing, and movement activities, followed by a craft activity that will vary every week and “Stay & Play”—a time for families to connect as the little ones play together! No registration required. This is a hybrid program, held in-person in the library’s Community Room and simultaneously livestreamed via Zoom. The recorded storytime is also subsequently uploaded to the library’s YouTube channel for delayed viewing. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): The library’s social media specialist will edit the Zoom recording as needed and upload it to the library’s YouTube channel after the live event. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One children’s librarian will lead the storytime, with support from additional library staff or teen volunteers as needed. 

    • Budget: $0.00. Books, crafts, and other materials taken from the library’s existing resources. Additional supplies may be purchased as needed, not to exceed $100.00 per month. 

Bilingual Family Storytime | Saturdays @ 11 am – 12:30 pm | all ages 

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us every Saturday morning in the Community Room for our bilingual family storytime, open to all ages! Bring the whole family to the library to support early literacy, motor development, and social interaction through stories, music, dancing, play, and crafts. We will read picture books and engage in songs, dancing, and movement activities, followed by a craft activity that will vary every week and “Stay & Play”—a time for families to connect as the little ones play together! Our bilingual family storytimes will alternate between Spanish and Mandarin Chinese every other week. No registration required. This is a hybrid program, held in-person in the library’s Community Room and simultaneously livestreamed via Zoom. The recorded storytime is also subsequently uploaded to the library’s YouTube channel for delayed viewing. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): The library’s social media specialist will edit the Zoom recording as needed and upload it to the library’s YouTube channel after the live event. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One children’s librarian will lead the storytime, with support from additional library staff or teen volunteers as needed. 

    • Budget: $0.00. Books, crafts, and other materials taken from the library’s existing resources. Additional supplies may be purchased as needed, not to exceed $100.00 per month. 

Paws to Read (Read to a Dog) | Tuesdays @ 6 – 7 pm | ages 6-12 

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us every Tuesday night in the Community Room for the chance to read to a dog! Our dogs are certified therapy dogs trained to provide emotional support and a nonjudgmental friend—perfect for shy readers who need practice and support with their reading skills. Reading aloud to dogs makes reading fun and helps young readers build confidence, improve fluency, and develop a love of reading! Interaction with therapy dogs also promotes relaxation and socialization. For the safety of our furry friends, registration is required. This program is made possible through partnership with our local Paws 4 Healing chapter. Program subject to change based on the availability of dogs and their caretakers. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): We will aim to have 3-6 therapy dogs at each event; however the total number of therapy dogs in attendance may vary from week to week based on the availability of their caretakers. For the safety of the dogs and children, guardians must complete waivers for their children and acknowledge safety agreements (e.g. no pulling dogs’ tails or ears, no shouting at the dogs, etc) upon registration. Parents must supervise their children during the program. Unattended children and/or children creating an unsafe environment for the dogs will be subject to dismissal at staff discretion. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One library staff member will supervise this program.

    • Budget: $0.00. This service is graciously provided to the library at no cost through partnership with the local Paws 4 Healing chapter. 

(reference)

Tales for Tails (Read to a Cat) | Thursdays @ 6 – 7 pm | ages 6-12 

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us every Thursday night in the Community Room for the chance to read to a cat! This program is provided through partnership with our local Happy Valley Animal Shelter. Children will have the opportunity to read to friendly shelter cats in a safe and controlled environment, and families can also learn about adoption options. Shelter cats can provide emotional support and a nonjudgmental friend with a soothing purr—perfect for shy readers who need practice and support with their reading skills. Reading aloud to cats makes reading fun and helps young readers build confidence, improve fluency, and develop a love of reading! For the safety of our feline friends, registration is required. Program subject to change based on the availability of cats and shelter staff. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): We will aim to have 3-6 cats at each event; however the total number of cats in attendance may vary from week to week based on the availability of shelter staff (and the adoption rate + sociability). For the safety of the cats and children, guardians must complete waivers for their children and acknowledge safety agreements (e.g. no pulling cats’ tails or ears, no shouting at the cats, etc) upon registration. Parents must supervise their children during the program. Unattended children and/or children creating an unsafe environment for the cats will be subject to dismissal at staff discretion. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One library staff member will supervise this program.

    • Budget: $0.00. This service is graciously provided to the library at no cost through partnership with our local Happy Valley Animal Shelter. 

(reference)

Family Zumba! | Saturdays @ 3 – 4 pm | all ages

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us every Saturday afternoon in the library’s Community Room for family-friendly zumba! Zumba is a fitness exercise that uses repetitive moves to make dancing fun and easy. This free class is taught by licensed zumba instructor Amaya Morales, from the town’s Parks & Recreation department, and is suitable for the whole family. Registration is required. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes and bring a water bottle. Let’s have fun dancing and staying fit together!

• Staff Details (not publicized): The Community Room can comfortably hold a maximum capacity of 40 people for this program. Participants can refill their water bottles at the water fountains in the library lobby, just outside the Community Room doors.  

  • • Staff Requirements: Zumba instructor Amaya Morales will supervise the program. The presence of library staff is not necessary, but staff at the service desk will be nearby and able to provide assistance if needed. 

    • Budget: $0.00. Amaya Morales is a licensed zumba instructor and an employee in the town’s Parks & Recreation department; this program is made possible through partnership with Parks & Rec.

Game On! | Fridays @ 5 – 6 pm | all ages

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us every Friday in the Community Room for an evening of games, open to all ages. Bring the whole family to the library for some family-friendly fun and discover the magic of play, get competitive, or make new friends! Various types of games—board games, card games, puzzles, bingo, Jenga, Twister, Nintendo Switch—will be offered and rotated each week, so stop by to see what we’re playing this week! No registration required.

• Staff Details (not publicized): 

  • • Staff Requirements: One library staff member will supervise this program, with support from teen volunteers as available.

    • Budget: $0.00. The library has an existing collection of games that will be in rotation for this program. Additional supplies may be purchased as needed, not to exceed $100.00 per month. 

LEGO Club | Saturdays @ 12 – 1 pm | ages 6-12

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us in the children’s department every Saturday afternoon for some LEGO fun to build tactile skills, problem solving, and creativity. The library will supply the LEGOs; all you have to do is create to your heart’s content, or try out a challenge if you’re experiencing builder’s block! All LEGOs must be returned at the conclusion of the program. For ages 6 to 12; no registration required.

• Staff Details (not publicized): 

  • • Staff Requirements: One library staff member will supervise this program, with support from teen volunteers as needed.

    • Budget: $0.00. The library's existing LEGO collection has been developed through generous donations from the community and funds raised by the Friends of the Library bookshop. No additional costs are anticipated at this time. 

Tween Anime Club | Fridays @ 4 – 5:30 pm | ages 8-12

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): The Tween Anime Club meets in the library Makerspace every Friday! Join us to watch anime, eat some snacks, participate in relaxing activities, or just chat with other anime lovers! No registration required; just walk in and come have some fun! For ages 8 to 12. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): This program is intended to be relaxed and participant-driven. Participants will select the anime they want to watch from the library’s media collection (recommendations to purchase additional titles will also be considered). Activities will include anime-related coloring sheets, button-making, etc. Supervising staff should simply keep an eye out to ensure conversation/behavior does not become inappropriate and refill any supplies as necessary. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One library staff member will supervise this program, with support from teen volunteers as needed.

    • Budget: Approximately $150.00 is allocated to the anime club per month, primarily to purchase snacks. Favorable requests to purchase additional anime titles will be derived from the collection development budget. 

Tween Book Club | last Wednesday of each month @ 4 – 5:30 pm | ages 8-12

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): The Tween Book Club meets in the library’s Community Room on the last Wednesday of each month for a discussion on a featured book, snacks, games, and activities! This month we are reading [book name]! Book club brochures featuring general program information, this month’s featured book and discussion questions, additional book recommendations, and the reading schedule for this year are available for pickup at the service desk. Registration required. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): Registration is limited to a maximum of 12 participants; additional children who are interested in participating will be added to a waitlist. The day prior to the book club meeting, the program organizer will contact each registrant’s guardian to ensure they still plan to attend and contact those on the waitlist to fill vacated spots if necessary. Children on the waitlist may be admitted to the program in excess of 12 participants at the program organizer’s discretion, but not to exceed 20 total participants. 

• Book titles for this program will be curated at least two months in advance of the first January meeting, through conversations with tweens and families who frequent the library, to ensure adequate program participation and that selected titles are of interest to the target audience. After creating a shortlist of recommendations, the program organizer will have tweens vote for the final selection of books to be spotlighted as book club picks and then create a year-long reading schedule for the book club, which will be released and and publicized at least a month before the first book club meeting (January) to allow participants an adequate amount of time to read the selected books. Toward the end of the year-long programming schedule (i.e. two or three months before the final discussion group meeting in December), the program organizer should evaluate the program and determine whether changes should be made, as well as curate the next year’s worth of book titles. The program organizer should also be evaluating the program on a month-by-month basis and make changes to program logistics sooner if necessary. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One children’s librarian will facilitate this program, with additional support from at least one teen volunteer. 

    • Budget: Approximately $300.00 is allocated for the book club per month, to buy copies of the current month’s featured book and next month’s featured book, snacks, and any supplies needed for games and activities. 

Tween Origami | second Wednesday of each month @ 4:30 – 5:30 pm | ages 8-12

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us in the library Makerspace on the second Wednesday of each month to learn how to fold origami patterns! This month we will be creating origami [objects]! This program is open to ages 8 to 12; no registration required. Learn how to create unique shapes that can serve as impressive hand-made gifts, all while boosting your creativity, imagination, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): The library Makerspace can hold a maximum capacity of 30 people. 

  • • Staff Requirements: One library staff member will lead this program, with support from teen volunteers as available. 

    • Budget: A one-time cost of approximately $5.00-10.00 will be used to purchase origami paper for a year’s worth of this programming series. 

• Monthly Schedule:

  • • January: origami stars

    • February: origami hearts, envelopes & mini gift bags

    • March: origami birds

    • April: origami rabbit & frog

    • May: origami flowers

    • June: origami dolphin & fish

    • July: origami popsicles

    • August: origami mini backpack & book

    • September: origami dog & cat

    • October: origami bats & ghosts

    • November: origami pumpkins

    • December: origami ornaments & snowflakes

Creative Crafternoon (virtual) | last Monday of each month @ 3 – 4 pm | ages 6-12

• Promotional Blurb (public-facing): Join us online via Zoom on the last Monday of each month for an afternoon of creative activity! Each month we will improve fine motor skills, lower stress, and engage in creative community by exploring a different creative activity with instruction and guidance from an expert. This month we will be learning [topic]! This program is open to ages 6 to 12 and registration is required in order to receive the Zoom meeting link. Registrants can pick up craft kits to follow along with each month’s activity at home, available at the service desk while supplies last. A limited number of computers will also be available in the library Makerspace for participants to join the meeting on-site. 

• Staff Details (not publicized): 

  • • Staff Requirements: One library staff member will be present during the Zoom meeting to provide tech support, answer audience questions, etc, while the featured speaker leads the program. 

    • Budget: $350.00 will be allocated for this program per month to buy supplies to assemble craft kits and pay speaker fees as necessary. 

• Monthly Schedule:

  • • January: crochet

    • February: sewing

    • March: punch needle embroidery

    • April: acrylic painting

    • May: watercolor painting

    • June: realistic sketches

    • July: portrait-drawing

    • August: scrapbooking/collaging

    • September: anime-style drawing

    • October: sculpting

    • November: quilting

    • December: knitting