Greenwich Free Library
September Newsletter
Life As We Know It
One of my favorite books about drastic events and a dystopian future is Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It . I like it because it shows what happens to ordinary people as the world starts to fall apart. A regular suburban teenage girl and her regular family have to cope with a complete breakdown of all the systems that made their lives work. Communication, food distribution, utilities all fall away and a kid whose brain had mostly been filled with a crush on an ice skater now has to figure out how to survive. Although things aren't nearly as dire for us, we have all been doing a lot of adapting and re-prioritizing lately.
Since March, we at the library have been innovating and changing how we serve our community. We poured a ton of energy into creating online resources to replace some of our regular services and create new ones. We have worked to increase public access to the internet by boosting our own WiFi, managing a list of other publicly available WiFi spots and collaborating on an effort to bring one to Cossayuna. Starting curbside service in June and then opening the doors again in July were wonderful steps to bring us back to a more normal life.
In September, we are giving ourselves a little break to regroup and decide what we will take on next. Our open hours and services like copying, faxing and notarizing will continue but we will be cutting back on our programming, particularly for our littlest patrons. Emilly and Jen have been going full-tilt for months and deserve to take a breather. We will also use the time to make decisions about open hours, volunteers and meeting space use for the rest of the year. And we'll be starting to put our main floor renovation plans into action, which will likely mean disruptions and uncertainties of different kinds. We'll keep you posted as we know more.
As schools start to open, we want to remind everyone that our services are geared towards getting in and getting done and getting out. We have no tables or chairs for hanging out and computer use is strictly limited. Although it hurts us to have to say it, It will be a while before we can be a safe place for kids to go after school again.
We are moving into month six of this crazy situation and I am finally coming to grips with the notion that anything could change at any moment. So, take all of the above with a grain of salt and don't be too surprised if it all changes by the time you read this.
-Annie
Open Hours
Tuesday: 3pm - 7pm
Wednesday: 9am - 2pm
Thursday: 3pm - 7pm
Friday: 9am - 2pm
Saturday: 10am - 1pm
Census
The results of the 2020 Census will allocate billions of dollars in federal funding to local communities over the next decade, including more than $1 billion to libraries. As of late July 2020, only 62.7 percent of US households had completed the self-response form by mail, online or by phone.
And with the U.S. Census Bureau ending counting efforts on September 30, a month sooner than previously announced, getting the word out that it's not too late to complete the questionnaire is more important than ever, especially for historically undercounted groups. Young children, people of color, indigenous people, urban and rural low-income households have been under-represented at disproportionately high rates in past Census counts.
If you haven't yet filled out the Census, you can stop in at the Library and use our kiosk to make sure you are counted.
Sign-up NOW to participate in our upcoming Book Character Pumpkin Decorating Contest!
Book Bags for Little Kids
Copies and Faxes
Library Services in our Greater Region
Greenwich Free Library
Email: amiller@sals.edu
Website: www.greenwichfreelibrary.org
Location: 148 Main Street, Greenwich, NY, USA
Phone: 518-692-7157
Facebook: facebook.com/GreenwichFreeLibrary