Posts Tagged ‘January 2022 Newsletter’
Building Resilience
Spring is a great time to pause and consider our goals for the year. Join Virginia Savage, LCSW, Art Therapist, at the Chickasha Public Library on Thursday, March 17 at 6 pm to 8 pm to continue our community conversation about mental health and how we can improve our resilience to whatever life brings.
The Building Resilience program is free of charge, however, space is limited and registration is required. To register, call 405-222-6075 or visit the library at 527 W Iowa.
In this program, you will learn a smart method to create achievable goals and then use two-dimensional materials to create unique vision boards for 2022. Participants will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on the process.
All necessary materials will be provided, however, participants may want to bring images of their own for the vision board.
Bring your imagination, and join us!
This program is funded through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries with a federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Beanstack’s Winter Reading Challenge Read for a Better World
From January 1 to January 31, Chickasha Public Library will participate in Beanstack’s Fifth Annual Winter Reading Challenge, “Read for a Better World,” sponsored by Lerner Publishing Group.
We challenge our patrons to read at least twenty minutes a day during the month and keep track of their reading on our Beanstack site at https://chickashapl.beanstack.org/reader365.
Thousands of other libraries and schools across the nation are joining in too, for a chance at winning prizes including book collections, signed books, and virtual author visits. Happy reading, Chickasha!
Chickasha Public Library Patrons Can Now Access the ChiltonLibrary
Keep Your Car Ready for the Road
Whether you’ve got a little or a lot of DIY mechanic in you, here’s a go-to source we thought you should know about. The name “Chilton” has been around almost as long as there have been cars on the road—and now their auto repair manuals are available online through ChiltonLibrary.
RELY ON UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
With ChiltonLibrary, you’ll find accurate, digestible information that’s continuously updated to cover most cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs on the road today, including:
Step-by-step repair procedures for everything from suspension, brakes, clutch, and gearbox jobs to more ambitious electrical and engine projects.
Troubleshooting guides for additional support.
Maintenance schedules to help prevent costly repairs.
ACCESS ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE
Visit https://link.gale.com/apps/CHLL?u=odl_chickasapl for free access to ChiltonLibrary at your library, at home, or on the go.
Happy car caring!
This project is funded through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries with a Federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act.
Chickasha Public Library 2021 Year in Review
Congratulations! We made it to 2022!
In January 2021, the library began using a new circulation system called Atriuum. This has some amazon features, one of which is the ability to create and run several different types of reports. This allows us to track statistics with a wide range of parameters-and that makes my boring little heart just soar. Join me on my adventure through the Chickasha Public Library 2021.
Last year our patrons checked out over 20,000 items from the library. This includes books, audiobooks, magazines, and DVDS. When we started counting circulations per book we found one that soared above the rest. Juniper’s Butterfly Garden by Autumn Heigle was the most-circulated item in the entire library. The book tells the story of Juniper, a young girl who wants to find ways to help the Monarch butterfly population. It is a great book, but what made it even better is that each patron who checks out the book receives a voucher to the Oklahoma City Zoo for up to 4 people. That’s a pretty good deal in my book! Four Winds by Kristen Hannah was another heavily circulated item. This story of Elsa Wolcott and her life-changing decisions was the most circulated adult fiction item.
Of course, the library added more than those 2 items. In fact the library purchased over 2200 items to add to the collection in 2021. The first book we ordered in the year 2021 was Plants-Only Kitchen: Over 70 Delicious, Super-Simple, Powerful and Protein-Packed Recipes for Busy People -a vegan recipe book by Gaz Oakley. Many of the children’s books we added this year were focused on animals in coordination with the theme of Summer Reading 2021 which was Tails & Tales.
While most of the items we add to the collection are selected by Lillie, the Library Director or Courtney, the Youth Services Librarian, we do occasionally add items that are requested by customers. Last year our customers requested 347 items. Some were titles suggested by family and friends or recommended through social media.
Sometimes an item that has been requested is difficult to find for purchase. That is one of the many reasons we use a system called interlibrary loan wherein libraries around the country lend books to one another for their customers. This year we lent 564 items to libraries as close as Anadarko and as far away as New Jersey. Of the 924 items that we borrowed, one came all the way from Alaska!
You may be asking yourself “Brande, if the library added over 2000 items this year, why are you not bursting at the seams?” That is because in addition to adding items to the collection we also eliminate items. This year we weeded over 1600 items from the collection. Most of the items had low circulation counts, were in unacceptable condition, or covered a topic that needed updating-for example a book about First Ladies of the United States that ended with Barbara Bush who served in that role from 1989-1993.
Looking over these statistics I was amazed that the library had accomplished so much in 2021. I certainly knew that we had been busy, but I hadn’t realized how busy. It is easy to get caught up in a day to day routine, to miss the forest for the trees. What did you accomplish this year? What does your forest look like?
Making Memories
Many older adults experience dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other forms of memory loss. It can be difficult for family members and caregivers to know how to connect with people and to find meaningful conversation topics and activities. To help address some of these issues, the Chickasha Public Library has created memory kits with books and activities for both people who are experiencing memory loss, as well as their caregivers.
There are currently two kits available at the library. Each kit contains a copy of the book A Caregiver’s Guide to Dementia: Using Activities and Other Strategies to Prevent, Reduce and Manage Behavioral Symptoms by Laura N. Gitlin and Catherine Verrier Piersol, which contains information for caregivers about different activities and strategies to navigate daily challenges, effective communication, safety, and more. There is a set of conversation cards with photos to help facilitate memories and recollections, provide social interaction, and enhance cognitive functioning. Each kit also contains an activity pillow, which is brightly colored and full of various textures that can provide a relaxing and soothing activity.
In addition to the items mentioned above, Kit #1 contains a fidget board with various metal locks, chains, clasps, and zippers, which is ideal for people who enjoy tools and mechanical projects. There is also a jigsaw puzzle with a picture of an antique car, and a Greatest Hits of the 50s CD.
Kit #2 contains a color sorting board, a jigsaw puzzle with a picture of a cat drinking some milk, and a CD with relaxing music. CD players are also available upon request. Let library staff know if you would like a CD player at the time of checkout.
Each kit can be checked out for two weeks. These items are intended to help people connect with their loved one while providing a variety of activities for daily life. Caregivers and family members can also take a kit with them while visiting family members at their house or in a nursing home.
Memory kits are a great way to help people to remember important people and events in their lives, while also creating new memories with caregivers and loved ones. The library’s memory kits are currently on display on the table near the front desk, along with books about Alzheimer’s, dementia, and maintaining brain health. If you or someone you know has been affected by memory loss, this is a great resource to check out!