Chapter Possibilities!As spring arrives, we are pleased to share Schlow Library's annual update with you. It includes a summary of the resources that were available to you and your loved ones last year.
Our 2022 story, "Chapter Possibilities," is a tribute to Schlow's devoted team of volunteers and staff who collaborated with you to discover, explore, and engage with the vast range of possibilities that Schlow Library has to offer.
Thank you for being a loyal patron of Schlow Library and for allowing us to assist you. As always, we are Schlow grateful!
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| Better TogetherAs I look back on 2022, I feel a sense of pride in Schlow Library's accomplishments in service to our community. Our state and national award-winning services highlight our staff's hard work, dedication, and commitment to amplifying local resources through strong partnerships with local nonprofit and government partners.
Through our innovative programs, together, we have fostered a sense of imagination, learning, and community connectedness among those we serve. It is a privilege to be a part of such meaningful work, and I look forward to Schlow Library continuing to make an impact in 2023 and beyond.
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| Children's Play Areas Return!The Children's Department was thrilled to put the train, Lego, and light tables back in the play area for families to enjoy in April 2022. Reaction to the change has been extremely positive - many of our younger patrons were born after the pandemic began and haven't had the opportunity to play with the tables before - and parents are thrilled that there is a free indoor space for their younger children to play and learn.
A little boy, approximately five years old, coincidentally walked into the department on the first day the tables were back, stopped in his tracks, and said, "Whoa!" It doesn't get much better than that.
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Engaging Visitors Through ArtPublic art installations encourage conversation and wow viewers by depicting various themes such as civics, climate, and history. Clay artist and Penn State graduate, Rachel Eng, created an art installation in the Schlow arcade that delighted patrons and passersby while welcoming them back with an unexpected and fleeting sculpture. The installation, designed to deteriorate over time, was of mushrooms, lichen, coral, and other vegetation.
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| Music Performances Enrich Summer Reading
Inviting performers to entertain, educate, and engage children over the summer, in concert with the important summer reading enrichment programs, is a bonus for families in the Centre Region.
Thanks to a Field of Interest Grant from the Centre Foundation, families enjoyed music concerts and activities all summer long. Performances included Emmy Award Winner Alex Mitnick, a rock camp for kids, and several Didgeridoo Down Under performances in and around the State College area. We finished out the summer with a performance by a local ensemble from State College Area High School known as the Brass Rats.
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| Hidden Happy Valley Tours Local, Historic SitesOnce again, the libraries in Centre County collaborated with the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Local Historia to present a second season of Hidden Happy Valley. This series of short virtual tours aims to showcase the fascinating, but sometimes lesser-known, history behind some of our favorite spots across the region. The episodes premiered on Schlow's YouTube channel, Facebook, and our partners' sites.
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Young Authors Share Their Work
Each January-March, the Children’s Department accepts submissions for our annual Write and Illustrate Your Own Book Contest! In its 39th year, the contest is open to all kids in grades 1-6 who live or attend school in Centre County. Every year, the winners’ books are professionally bound and added to Schlow’s collection, where they can be checked out and read by Schlow patrons. We enjoy giving our local budding authors a chance to show off their work!
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Book Doctors Are in the House!Our Library has recently teamed up with high school students eager to volunteer their time. Through the "Book Doctors" program, these individuals diligently search through our extensive collection to assess the condition of each book. They identify those that require minor repairs and carefully clean each item's cover before returning it to its appropriate place on the shelves. In cases where the book needs more substantial attention, our material selectors are assigned to handle the matter. Our staff then decides whether to withdraw or replace the damaged items with new copies if necessary. We are truly grateful for the invaluable assistance these "doctors" provided in maintaining the physical fitness and overall good condition of our collections for the benefit of our community!
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Adult & Teen Programs HonoredThe English as a Second Language (ESL) Book Club and annual teen gallery exhibition, "Reduce, Reuse, Remake," were recognized by the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) and the Pennsylvania Humanities Council (PA Humanities), respectively, as 2022 award-winning programs.
The ESL Book Club won PaLA's PA Forward Best Practices award in Adult Basic Literacy, recognizing the program's goal to build community connections and increase comprehension and pronunciation.
In partnership with the State College Area School District middle and high school art teachers, Schlow Library won the PA Humanities, "Humanities in Action Award," recognizing the annual "Reduce, Reuse, Remake" art exhibition that provides students with a community platform to express their creativity while learning critical visual and civic literacy skills.
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New Outreach Program at Farmer's MarketEvery week in the summer, Schlow Library participated in the Pine Grove Mills Farmer's Market to connect the local community with the Summer Reading Program and create opportunities to obtain a library card. The "Book Nook" had a variety of books for both children and adults to peruse and borrow, and Schlow librarians had a wonderful time meeting and interacting with many new patrons!
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Inaugural Exhibit of Local Teen Photographers
Schlow celebrated our first official Teens Create exhibition on the 2nd floor! From starkly unaltered close-ups to carefully edited digital photography, the images highlight the creativity of our local artists. All images were taken by State College Area High School students and chosen for the State College Photo Club's 2nd Annual State College Photo Club Youth Showcase Winners. Schlow Library thanks the Centre Foundation's Centre-PACT grant committee for making the new gallery space possible.
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Families Meet Children's Authors at Schlow LibraryThe Children’s Department at Schlow Library hosted its first Meet the Authors event for local children’s authors since early 2020! Five authors with connections to our community came together to introduce families to their stories, each bringing a special tabletop activity for kids to enjoy. For some of the authors, this was their first time interacting with readers in person since the pandemic, and they were thrilled to be able to talk to kids again. It’s a great opportunity for new authors to showcase their books, and for kids to be creatively inspired.
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Featured Author Program in 2022
In February, Erin Entrada Kelly, Newbery Winner and author of popular books, including We Dream of Space, Lalani of the Distant Sea, and The Land of Forgotten Girl, visited Schlow Library virtually. Children learned about her life as a popular children’s book author and had the chance to ask her questions.
Schlow joined select libraries and universities across the country in piloting a virtual speakers series called “Library Speakers Consortium.” The series brings bestselling authors to our community. In 2022, authors include Alka Joshi, whose book, The Henna Artist, was a Reese Whitherspoon book club pick, and Marcia Chatelain, whose book Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in History. Additional bestselling author talks included:
- Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove
- David Allen, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
- Liz Moore, Long Bright River
- Michele Harper, The Beauty in Breaking
- Geraldine Brooks, Bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning Author of March, People of the Book, The Secret Chord, and Horse.
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Memory Kits Debut Providing a New Collection for CaregiversA diagnosis of dementia can be difficult for everyone in a family, but it's possible to maintain our emotional connections through memory therapy. Schlow now offers memory kits and a selection of picture books to aid in memory therapy, with themes including seasons, farming, home, and crafts, as well as outdoor activities, and pets.
Schlow's memory kits are designed to help generate feelings of comfort, joy, and happiness. "By viewing photo collections, we initiate conversations about our favorite things and share our life stories with others. This allows us to reflect on the things and people in our present and past. By doing so, we are preserving and sharing our history and reflecting on our worth and the importance of our own existence." The memory picture books are published through Sunny Street Books, whose work is designed to engage readers with memory loss.
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Thank You!
As we reflect on 2022, please know that we are truly grateful for the ongoing support the community has shown for the library in so many ways.
Through financial support, special notes of appreciation, smiles for staff, and advocacy in the community, your support matters!
This fall, you reached a new milestone in the history of Philanthropy at the Library. Almost 700 donors made gifts totaling $106,000, and 60 of those were first-time donors. The generosity shown during the "Possibilities" fall fundraising initiative is what supports the programs and services going on now. Special thanks to all of you who support the Library in so many ways!
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