Recap of Recaps: February 14–February 21

Submitted by Joanie Goforth

Check out these recaps from some wonderful programming that took place systemwide between February 14–February 21. There were so many great moments to highlight! The Craft With Me program brought families together to create something beautiful. That doesn’t just happen every day, so hats off to Post Road staff for making the library a place for this kind of magic to happen! Don't miss the last recap - there was a magic moment at Sharon Forks you will definitely want to see.

Families came together to create luminaries during Craft With Me

Three generations made vellum luminary cubes together at Craft With Me

Craft With Me: Vellum Luminary Cube at Post Road Library

28 children, 16 adults

"Today's Craft With Me program was such a hit! Patrons as young as 5 and as old as a Grandma turned 2-dimensional outlines on vellum into colorful 3-D cubes that could be illuminated with battery-powered tea lights. We offered crayons, colored pencils, tempera paint sticks, sharpies and two outlines per patron. Children and adults worked diligently on their designs, creating intricate designs that wrapped around the sides, abstract designs, houses, rockets, starry nights, and deep oceans. We had enough vellum to offer more outlines to each patron and most took a couple, along with two tea lights. The heart of this program is to offer a program to adults and children together. When we gave out tickets 30 minutes before the program, one mom was HAPPILY surprised that

the program was meant for her, too. She said, "You mean I get to make my own craft?" She created intricate pictures on her cube and had a lovely time. Another group who came included a child, mother, and grandmother. The child told us that Grandma was here visiting from China to celebrate Chinese New Year. The mother and grandmother both decorated their cubes with the Chinese symbols for happiness and health and an illustrated dragon, since this is the Year of the Dragon.” –hosted by Jane Elizabeth Sewell

Bookmobile Visit to South Forsyth High School–Navigating the Journey 

12 visitors

“The bookmobile was present at a parent event at South Forsyth High School. As we arrived at the pagoda, a portion of the marching band was practicing in the arena. It took me back to my high school days to hear the beat of the drums and the ticking of the metronome. Parents started arriving around 5:30 p.m. and continued to stream in until well after the program started. The participants only had 5 minutes to move between their sessions which inhibited them from coming on board the bookmobile. Even though we didn't have a lot of visitors we had great visibility and quality interactions. One adult, who was using her Spotify account to listen to books, was blown away when we shared Libby with her. She commented, "You have changed my life!" A group of teens joined us and checked out items as well. At the close of the event several parents boarded the bookmobile, Katie and I used our best reader's advisory skills to help them find books for their children.” –contributed by Lorraine Lane

Teen Career Exploration at Cumming Library 

23 teens

“We had a wonderful group of teens and panelists for tonight's Teen Career Exploration night. The presenters held the audience's attention and did an excellent job explaining their careers. We had a dentist who explained a lot of different career choices in the field of dentistry. I really enjoyed hearing from the CEO of a construction company. She started her presentation saying, "I started as an administrative assistant, worked hard, found out everything I could, learned everything I could, and am now the CEO. Hard work pays off." Super impressive. Our last presenter, a real estate videographer, and photographer, among other things, brought in some really cool tech. She says she is a one-stop shop for all things media. She told the participants that she began her career in Ghana for two years doing non-profit film work to help provide funding. She then spent the next few years traveling the world finding stories and filming. The teens really leaned in on her presentation. After the presentations the teens asked questions and then each of the panelists took turns answering. Overall, a wonderful and interesting evening.” –hosted by Sariah Homan

Handcrafted @ Hampton Park at Hampton Park Library

7 adults

"We had seven enthusiastic crafters today ready to make their cute sprinkles candles. Our new wax melter made this project so much simpler than otherwise! Each crafter got a small and cute milk bottle, coated the inside with corn syrup, tossed in sprinkles, then poured in the melted wax to make a candle. The crafters topped off the milk bottle candle with a decorative ribbon. Even though these candles can't be burned because of the sugar sprinkles, they make nice decorations. We had a lively group and everyone enjoyed the crafting and conversation. I was thankful to have Peyton as a program assistant today. Peyton presented educational information about how Valentine's Day is celebrated around the world, and she also helped with supplies, instructions, photos, and cleanup.” –hosted by Amy Whitten

Seniors from Phoenix at James Creek were among the crowd that enjoyed
a Bright Star Theatre performance of "Jackie Robinson"

Jackie Robinson: A Bright Star Touring Theatre Production at Sharon Forks Library

45 children, 34 adults
"Our patrons enjoyed a wonderful presentation about Jackie Robinson thanks to two talented actors with Bright Star Theatre! We had a crowd forming before we opened the doors (along with a crowd of Friday Montessori students waiting to leave!) and it wasn't until we started filing into the room that I realized we truly had all ages represented. We had some very eager elementary-age students and caregivers, some young families and a large group of seniors from the Phoenix at James Creek. This two-person show was energetic, meaningful and entertaining, keeping our whole audience engaged and delighted. The show offered opportunities for the audience to get up and move, to cheer for Jackie and even to be on the field for Jackie's homerun in his first major league game in 1947! ” –hosted by Amy Billings