Tuesday, April 02, 2013

 

Chambers County Library System - March report



Chambers County Library System – March, 2013

Total walk-in traffic – 9,619

Total programs offered – 63

Program attendance – 1,177

Computer logons – 2,010

Total circulation – 13,260

As you can see, the month of March was a busy, busy month! 

March provided the library system with another opportunity to show the communities some of the things we do best. National Read Across America Day was celebrated at all three libraries with our Cat in the Hat costumes (courtesy of the Friends of CCLS) used in full force at all the branches.  Each site had all sorts of fun, with cakes, photographs, and of course, Dr. Seuss stories. Our children’s programs continue to be innovative and successful!  West Chambers Branch Librarian, Missy Parham had the privilege of being the “official” Cat in the Hat at Barbers Hill ISD.  She spent a day at the schools entertaining the kids with stories and quirky fun activities.  It’s always a great thing to see the staff involved at the schools.  We ended March with Easter parties for the young set, and there were various activities in the three branches, from egg hunts to visits by that old rascal himself, the Easter Bunny.

Several staff members were able to take advantage of the County’s offer of CPR classes.  Staff has been trying to work themselves into the monthly classes provided by the Emergency Management department, and we fervently hope that everyone who wants to take the class will have managed to do so by the end of the year. Each of our sites has a defibrillator available, and new rules on these machines, and new standards for CPR techniques make re-training invaluable.

Our movie programs are always a hit with free refreshments and movies on the big screen.  The staff loves to show newly released movies with the kids (and adults) often asking what the next movie will be.  Chambers County Library in Anahuac tested out a “Grown-up Movie Night” on the 26th with a good group of attendees.  It sparked interest for other types of movies to be shown including classics and award-winning films.  Of course the kids enjoyed Hotel Transylvania and Odd Life of Timothy Green.  Next month there’s a whole new lineup, so be sure to check it out!

Spring break also allows the community to spend free vacation time at the libraries.  Programs specifically held for Spring Breakers were held at a couple of branches with Anahuac’s Angry Birds program, name art collages, and a movie marathon.  Mont Belvieu followed suit with a Shrek teen movie marathon complete with all types of good snacks. 

The Winnie gang held a Springtime Gardening program with A. Lynette Parsons.  Lynette is a certified Master Gardener and loves to talk dirt with patrons on all types of topics when it comes to gardening and flowers.  Contact the local County Extension office at 409-374-2123 with your gardening questions and they’ll connect you with the local experts in Chambers County. 

Technical Librarian Kathy Fielding and I did some outreach at the Chambers County Health and Wellness Fair by showing county employees what the library offers in terms of wellness resources.  The library has hundreds of materials that can be used for wellness points for county employees, and we also have some great updated books and DVDs – not to mention the wealth of information available from our health and medical online databases.  We also had over 300 pieces of fruit donated by Food Town to pass out to everyone who attended. 

County Librarian, Valerie Jensen attended the quarterly Lee College Educational Opportunity Advisory board meeting at the Workforce Solutions office in Baytown. Area librarians meet with Lee College instructors and staff to discuss the educational needs of people in the community. Currently, the Chambers County Library in Anahuac holds GED prep classes for students who need assistance in taking the exam. The Lee College EOC has provided scholarships for area students to pay for the GED test when they are unable to get the funds to pay themselves.

And finally, our newly added databases, Chilton automotive repair and Powerspeak languages have come on full force.  The past month we have had 17 people spend over 5 hours in training with Powerspeak training in Spanish, French and German.  The Chilton auto repair database was used heavily as well to assist people needing simple to advanced car repair information.  Our newest databases are accessible from home with your library card. 

Coming up in April, the Friends of CCLS and the staff will be holding a Meet Your Library Night at the West Chambers Branch in Mont Belvieu inviting the public, local businesses, schools, and local officials to see the value of what their library holds in the community.  The event will be held on April 30th from 4pm-7pm.  Local authors, refreshments, free books, and much more will be on hand for fun-filled evening at the library. 

Check out upcoming activity on our website.  Check us out at www.chambers.lib.tx.us or give us a “Like” on Facebook to see pictures and activities at your local branch. 

Until next month!

Valerie Jensen

County Librarian
 
 

 







A tiny patron enjoys story time at Mont Belvieu
 


After-school worker, Kenya Moore plays the part of the Easter Bunny at Anahuac


 
 


 




 


 

 


 

 

 

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?