Traverse Area District Library May 2024 Newsletter ** What's new? ------------------------------------------------------------ Welcome to the 289 cardholders who joined us in April! There's lots of news so we'll dive right in: Please note: All libraries will be closed Monday May 27 for Memorial Day. 1) Restrooms! The 2nd floor bathrooms are open and now the lobby restroom renovations are underway. 2) Bookmark contest! Our bookmark contest entries are in, thank you to all of the 180+ library community members who created such beautiful work. They are on display in the McGuire Room. Stop in and vote for your favorites now through May 15. Winning entries will get printed and used at the libraries throughout the rest of 2024. 3) No Mow May - Does our front lawn look a little shaggy? It's for the bees! We will be observing No Mow May again this year to give our pollinators a helping hand. Our neighbors at the GTA Children's Garden also have a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCBLnQAgHG8) , signs and seeds (available at the library) if you're interested! Our seed library is still available if you would like some flower or veggie seeds. 4) Read-a-Thoners! If you would like to help us promote reading and literacy in our community feel free to pick up a sign at the Woodmere front desk. Great job logging those reading days! 5) Summer reading - May is "summer reading club eve", librarians are busy visiting schools to promote our summer reading club but remember - it's for all ages! Our 2024 theme will be: Adventure Begins at Your Library! We're planning an adventurous summer! Signup opens June 1, Kickoff Day will be June 10. Take a peek at what we have planned for our free, all-ages, six-week program - tadl.org/summerreading Click to skim what's new in the collection at TADL: * New Fiction (https://bit.ly/36KpU4N) * New Non-Fiction (https://bit.ly/36KQVVH) * New Audiobooks (https://bit.ly/2I3Ry2o) * New DVDs (https://bit.ly/3nv66bv) * New Music (https://bit.ly/34Ai4Iw) TADL Kids (http://tadl.org/youth) Thank you to everyone who joined us to put the MAKER in MakerFest 2024. This Earth Day Special Edition brought lots of recycling, reusing, and repurposing - not to mention, smiles all around! ** Upcoming Marvelous May TADLKids Events ------------------------------------------------------------ Week Day Storytimes in the Story Room (until Fri. 5/17) * Mon @ 10: Storytime with Miss Rosie (2+) * Tue @ 9:15: Baby Time (0-1) Tue @ 10: Toddler Time (0-2) * Wed @ 10: Make-Believers Storytime with Miss Kate (2+) * Thur @ 10: Storytime for Bigs (2+) * Fri @ 10: Storytime with Miss Amanda (2+) Afterschool in the Story Room (until Thurs. 5/16) * Monday, 5/6 @ 4: Make Something * Monday, 5/13 @ 4: DIY Delights * 2nd Tuesday @ 4: Tell-a-Tail * Wednesdays @ 4: Build n' Create * 1st & 3rd Thur @ 4: Tween Time Special Programs * Sat. 5/4 @ 11: Star Wars Day Celebration * Sat., 5/11 @ 11: Children’s Garden Storytime * Tues., 5/28 @ 4:30: Budding Bookworms Book Club * Sun., 5/5 and 5/19 @ 2: Sunday Stories w/ Miss Kate Doughnuts with the Director! Tues. 5/14 9:45 - 10:45 am We chose this timeslot so that our storytime parents have an opportunity stop and chat with Library Director Michele P. Howard in the youth department! Ask her about her favorite children's books! Open house style format, everyone is welcome, even if you only have a minute or two. Teens (http://tadl.org/teen) * Teen Volunteers - Every Wednesday, 4:30 pm * + (Need volunteer hours for school? Click here (https://www.tadl.org/teen-volunteers) !) * Creativity Corner, Every Monday 4 pm * Twisted Quills Writing Group, Every Tuesday 4 pm Fun and Games! * 5/4 & 5/18 - Chess Club, 11 am * 5/20 = Escape Room, 5:30 pm (Register on tadl.org/events) Adults (http://tadl.org/adults) 155 Heritage Celebration Throwback! Sixth Street Library Reading Room - Local History Collection (http://tadl.org/localhistory) ** Support local poets! ------------------------------------------------------------ Each year we produce a chapbook featuring the work of local poets as part of our Poets' Night Out program. The books are on sale now at the circulation desk! All proceeds benefit the Poets' Night Out program. **Special Event - Nature Walk at Arcadia Marsh The Larry Gorton Talking Book Library is planning a nature walk. 5/16 - Bus leaves the Main Library on Woodmere at 10 am You may choose to meet our group at the marsh at 11 am. Call or email (mailto:tbl@tadl.org) Anita with any questions! Learning * Digital Drop-Ins - Every Wednesday at the Reference Desk, 10 -11:30 am * 5/19 - Traverse Area Historical Society, 2 pm * 5/21 - Grand Traverse Genealogical Society, 1 pm Author & Book-Related Events * 5/5 - Books to Movies, 1 pm * 5/6 - Anime Club, 5:30 pm * 5/8 - A Father's Arms: A Diary by Captain Robert A. Maynard, 6:30 pm * 5/25 - When Writers Meet the Storm: Author Workshop with Michigan Writers, 2pm (In person or via Zoom, contact Anita or ask@tadl.org if you need assistance registering.) Health & Wellness All programs are in the McGuire Community Room unless otherwise noted. * 5/3 - Lunchtime Tai Chi, Noon * 5/6 - General Pelvic Health Workshop, 6 pm * 5/17 - Lunchtime Tai Chi, Noon * 5/23 - Yoga for Anxiety, 6 pm * 5/24 - Chair Yoga*, 11 am * 5/30 - Yin Sound Immersion Yoga, 6 pm *This is a program from The Larry Gorton Talking Book Library. **Friends of TADL Annual Meeting May 15 5 - 7:45 pm! ------------------------------------------------------------ Everyone is invited to attend the Friends of TADL Annual Membership Meeting, featuring "Stories From Our Friends". You'll hear stories from local notables about books that shaped their lives, get an update on the year's activities, elect our slate of officers, enjoy light refreshments and more. tadl.org/friends Save the date! THE BOOK SALE will be June 6-9, details to come! East Bay Branch Library (http://tadl.org/eastbay) * Sing & Stomp - Every Wednesday at 11 am * Sing & Stomp Fridays - 5/3, 5/17, 5/31 at 10 am * 5/4 - Star Wars Day, 10 am - Noon * 5/10 - Tai Chi with Josh, Noon * 5/11 - Mother's Day Crafts, Noon - 2 pm * 5/17 - Chair Yoga, 11 am * 5/18 - Paper Quilling, 10 am * 5/22 - Escape Room for Tweens, 5 pm * 5/25 - Challenge Island, Noon * 5/28 - East Bay Book Club, 6 pm Kingsley Branch Library (http://tadl.org/kingsley) * Wigglers Storytime, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:30 am (No Wigglers Storytime 5/15) * Big Kids Storytime, Thursdays at 11 am (No Big Kids Storytime 5/16) * Teen Dungeons & Dragons, Thurs. 5/2, 5/16, 5/30 at 3:30 pm * 5/4 Star Wars Day o Movies showing 9 am - 2:30 pm o Crafts and Treat Decorating 1 - 2:30 pm From the Director’s Desk with Library Director Michele P. Howard Everyone knows that libraries exist to share books and materials, but many people don't know how they are funded. Simply put, our TADL libraries run on funds generated by an operating millage. This voter-approved millage supplies 90% of TADL library funding. It is a 10-year millage, so it appears back on the ballot periodically. The Library Board put the library millage on the ballot August 6, 2024. For library employees, this is a tricky time because we love good conversation with our patrons. BUT, please know that library employees will not speak about the millage. Why is that? In a nutshell, it’s illegal to use public funds to influence the outcome of an election. Therefore while at work or functioning in a work capacity library employees cannot talk about personal opinions or thoughts about the millage because it would be using public funds (we are being paid) to influence (talking about our opinions). So, in accordance to many areas of the law including the Section 57 of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, we will share only factual information if/when asked. Speaking personally, I know before I worked for TADL, during previous millage votes I thought: “Why doesn't the library have any positive election information or yard signs to pick up to vote yes?” We definitely care but we must uphold the law! Additionally, you will not be seeing any “Vote Yes” materials in or around the library or on any library workers on the job. What you will see is what we are legally allowed to do - share facts about the library and library funding. We will have flyers available and we have a new webpage tadl.org/millage (https://www.tadl.org/millage) . Here's a few facts for starters! * Do you know that every day of the week there are about 8 free programs going on in our TADL libraries? * The value of items checked out in 2023: $15,826,655 = a 264% community return on investment (millage dollars) for 2023. * Do people still use the library? Yes! 419,235 people visited a TADL library in 2023. * Last but not least, one of my favorite stats - we give out an average of seven new library cards each day! As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or stop by the Doughnuts with the Director on May 14th, 2024 at 9:45 in the youth department. (We'll have more doughnuts sessions in coming weeks.) If you can't make it, feel free to email or give me a call. Thank you! Michele