More Than Just Books : Continued
Morgan Hill Librarian Heather Geddes and staff have crreated and maintain a thriving community resource center for growth and knowledge . At the Steve Tate Morgan Hill Library , books are just the beginning . Visit : sccld . org / locations / morganhill /
“ A fter the pandemic , we really wanted to be thoughtful of how spaces could be multi-use and our patio space gives us the opportunity to use to use that programming space for outreach events and class visits ,” Gilroy ’ s community librarian Cassandra Wong said , “ It ’ s a really great place for the community to get together and have lunch and connect with one another , so we ’ re really proud of that space .”
Along with promoting literacy and access to information , both Geddes and Wong see libraries as a catalyst for addressing social issues within their communities . For years , the Gilroy and Morgan Hill libraries have been offering the After School Snack program , where kids under 18 have access to free snacks during the school year , and the Lunch at the Library program during the summer , which offers free meals for kids and their families when school isn ’ t in session . While children and family members are there they also have the opportunity to participate in enrichment programs like arts and crafts , STEM , or watch presentations that help bridge literacy and educational needs . “ We really want to make sure that families are able to enjoy other aspects of our community because they aren ’ t worried about where a meal might be coming from ,” Wong said . And , as Geddes points out , if you ’ re hungry you ’ re not able to learn . children ages zero to five can learn basic skills needed for kindergarten , like coloring and gluing , learning basic letters , and sitting and listening to reading . It ’ s an opportunity Geddes feels not enough people know about , at a time when children across the country are struggling educationally because of the pandemic . “ I can ’ t emphasize enough how much being able to read at your grade level will help predict your success in future grades and where you go in life ,” Geddes said . The ELR program helps increase those chances of future success . Geddes recalled a mother who approached her a month into the ELR program to tell her that she ’ d never worked with her son on spelling or reading his name before , and already he was recognizing the letters that spelled his name and trying to write it .
In the best and the worst of times , libraries do what they ’ ve always done : strengthen and uplift our communities . They do this not just with books , but by bringing all walks of life together and helping anyone in need . This April 23 through 29 , help celebrate National Library Week by showing some love for your local library and its dedicated librarians . You could drop by and give a kind word or visit www . friendsofgilroylibrary . org or www . friendsmhlibrary . org to volunteer for their Friends of the Library program , where volunteers sell material donated by the community . “ Volunteers are so important because the funds they generate allow us to provide the quality programming that directly impacts the community ,” Wong explained . However you choose to help out , be sure to add more to the story .
The Morgan Hill and Gilroy libraries also promote kindergarten readiness to help children get the best start on their education . Partnered with the YMCA , our local libraries offer the “ Nana Y Yo ” Early Learning Readiness ( ELR ) program , where
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