Walkers & Phoners Needed

Do you enjoy taking a walk down a pleasant street? If you do, Grove Family Library needs your help on one comfortable morning or afternoon to disribute gift bags through a nearby neighborhood. 2,500 gift bags have already been delivered to doorknobs in Guilford and Greene Townships by wonderful volunteers. Another 500 bags are ready for your wlling hands and feet.

Do you enjoy chatting on the telephone? If you do, Grove Family Library can use your help for 90 minutes on the evenings of July 22-24 for their capital campaign phone-a-thon. Enjoy a party atmosphere while you chat.

To assist with either project contact Jill Myers (264-9863) or Amy Wertz (709-0282 x216). We would appreciate your help, which reduces the mortgage on Grove Family Library.

Summer Reading Is For Everyone!

Catch the Reading Bug! I belong to the summer reading club. It's great! No matter what your age or what genre you enjoy reading, sign up today. Let's show the rest of Pennsylvania that Franklin County can read more books! If you register to read, and keep your record, you can win prizes while enjoying any book you want.

For teens and children, there are many exciting activities. Check the event calendar on our main webpage or visit the children's or teen's page of your closest library for details. Metamorphasize your life @ the library to fill those lazy days of summer or vacation.

Parents, did you know that participation in library reading and activities during the summer is the best way to keep your children's minds stimulated and ready to begin the next year of school? Some families have even discovered that the fun atmosphere of summer reading clubs in public libraries create a fresh love of reading in students who struggle during the school year. Encourage your child's participation by signing up yourself. Families who read together, learn together! Catch the Reading Bug, Together! You will never regret it.

Franklin County Public Library Week

Yesterday, Franklin County Commissioners presented library representatives with a proclamation naming this week -- May 18-24, 2008 -- Franklin County Public Library Week! This is the 3rd year of this event and the 10th year of Franklin county Library System's existence. The Commissioners cited the positive impact of local public libraries on protecting democracy and supporting lifelong learning across the county, despite recent irregularities in funding. They also indcated that response to the recent county library tax increase has been nothing but positive.

Since the Annual Appeal mailing went out today, this is a great time to celebrate public libraries county-wide by giving from your heart! While county library funding is at its all-time high, many community library needs remain uncovered, such as building renovations and the continued astronomic increases in utilities. County funds have brought us closer to bridging the gap, but NOT taken the Library System to where you (the customer) want it to be.

I'm So Excited and Honored

Representing the Lions of District 14-T (Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, and Perry Counties), District Governor Frank Wedig of Harrisburg, honored the community service of Bernice Crouse, Executive Director of the Franklin County Library System. Mrs. Crouse, of Chambersburg, has worked tirelessly to expand and improve library services in the county. Lions Clubs International emphasizes recognition of citizens who make important contributions to their community, reflecting the Lions motto: We Serve.
He presented her with a framed print of the winning 2007 Lions International Children’s Peace Poster ("Peace Around the World") at a dinner hosted by the Chambersburg Evening Lions.

Volunteers Needed!

This spring Franklin County Library System needs a number of volunteers to assist with a variety of special tasks in support local library and county-wide initiatives. Grove Family Library needs people to help with copying, stuffing, canvassing communities, making phone calls, and brainstorming new ideas. Coyle Free Library needs community members to serve on its Building Program Committee and Steeering Committe for a future capital campaign. Both Grove and Coyle need volunteers to help with the Spring House Tour on June 1.

The Library System needs volunteers to do behind-the-scenes preparation for reading programs, for children, teens, and adults, and to sort through book donations and plan a major book sale. We also need community respresentation on various committees.

Please contact Jill Snyder at 264-9863 or Erica Pryor at 709-0282 x209 for ideas of how your talents can be best utilized and to sign up as a volunteer, whether short-term or long-term.

All libraries can use volunteers to assist with special projects and weekly routines. So if you care, and have time to give, call today. We can use your help in a community close to you.

Career Planning?

Beginning on April 1, 2008, you will be able to get a free token at a local public library to plan your career and its development online through a great service called ACT Discover! Your token will open a world of interest, ability, and values' inventories, related career ideas and information, and a database of education information to you. Tokens are available from Coyle Free and Grove Family Libraries in Chambersburg, Besore Memorial Library in Greencastle, Alexander Hamilton Library in Waynesboro, and Fulton County Library in McConnellsburg. Once registered to use the service, users may login from any computer on the Internet to continue their inventories and searches for information. Don't forget that the library website www.fclspa.org, has other wonderful free resources to help you choose and develop careers, select colleges and technical schools, locate scholarships and loans, and prepare for standardized tests.

Preschool Bookmobile Coming Soon

This week Franklin County Library System purchased a lightly-used health-screening vehicle from Franklin County for a sealed bid of $20,000. After interior refurbishment, mechanical service, and repainting are complete, the 2002 specialty van with less than 2,000 miles on it, will hit the road as FCLS's new preschool bookvan.

We expect to be able to complete the work, and put the preschool bookvan into operation before the end of 2008, thanks to the support of Patricia and Michael Hurt, T. B. Woods, Altra Industrial Motion, Genstar LLC, the Rotary Clubs of Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, and Waynesboro, and Franklin County government. $42,000 is in hand to pay for the van and refurbishment, with another $58,000 committed to the project over the next 4 years.

The goal of the preschool bookvan is to expand outreach service to additional preschool educational and childcare centers throughout Franklin County. If you represent such a facility and would like to be considered for the expanded service later this year, please contact Bookmobile/Outreach Librarian Amanda Flagle, at aflagle@fclspa.org or 264-9863, who is overseeing the project.