As of Thanksgiving, I will have completed my first year serving as a Youth Services Librarian at the Floyd County Library! Prior to joining the public library team, I worked as a teacher and then a school librarian for elementary and middle schools.

My initiation into public libraries was two extremely busy 2022 Holiday events: The Gingerbread Extravaganza and The Polar Express Party, with approximately 1400 patrons and 500 patrons attending respectively. After 2 years of living with Covid-19 protocols, the experience of being in a huge crowd was both foreign and overwhelming. Yet, I was delighted to see that the New Albany Public Library has evolved into a flourishing “community center” where Floyd County residents come to enjoy celebrating the joys of the season. 

In case you had not noticed, the public library is NOT just about books anymore! It is a place to bring together all members of our community for discussions, celebrations, concerts, art showcases, voting, volunteering, learning, playing, developing new skills, hanging out with new friends, yoga, meetings, trying new things, borrowing useful things (such as a GoPro, sewing machine, Legos, and so much more. Check out the Library of Things: https://floydlibrary.org/lot/)

The Library serves every person in Floyd County by helping feed our community through our  “Community Corner Food Pantry” https://floydlibrary.org/community-corner/

We have a Social Worker on staff who helps provide resources for anyone needing housing support or any kind of social service information. We provide Spanish language conversation classes and programs: https://floydlibrary.org/espanol/

We welcome all comers every day with a smile and kindness!

In case you are unaware of the diversity of programs available at your library, I thought I would share some highlights of my past year of service to our community as a Youth Services Librarian:

January – March

  • Children’s Room “Writing Center” supporting early literacy development
  • Beginner sewing classes for teens
  • 3-day Spring Break Lego Robotics Camp
  •  
  • First Annual “Sparkle Day.”
  • Shakespeare Theatre – Stage Combat class

April – June:

             

  • Harry Potter Week (culminating in the after hours Hogwarts Celebration with more than 700 patrons)!  
  • Pollinator Day Outreach
  • Summer Reading visits to schools
  • STEAM into Science (ongoing monthly program): https://nafclibrary.libcal.com/event/11442689
  • Digital Literacy classes 
  • Summer Reading Programming
  • PRIDE Month events (Storytimes and crafts)
  • Farmer’s Market

July – Sept

  • School Literacy Night outreach
  • Family & Children’s Place outreach
  • computer classes

Oct – Dec:

           

  • Fall Break 2-day Lego Robotics camp
  • Fall Break YMCA Camp Horizon outreach
  • Spoken Word Performance
  • Harvest Homecoming
  • Halloween Bash
  • Halloween Community outreach
  • Sew, What’s Going On? (Beginner Sewing Classes for Kids, 9-12)
  • New Albany Housing Authority Outreach
  • Tails & Tales (Read to “Pickles” the Therapy Dog)
  • Gingerbread Extravaganza & Polar Express Parties (coming in December!) 

If your head is spinning and your eyes are wide from my year’s worth of primarily children’s programming, let me encourage you to check out the Library’s Events Calendar  for information on upcoming events and programs for ALL ages. Don’t miss out on the wealth of programs and events coming your way in 2024! See you at the Floyd County Library!