Deep winter

February 2022

From the Board of Trustees

[The following letter appears in the 2021 Jackson Town Report.]

What a difference a year makes! Well, maybe not so much since Covid-19 is still here. Despite the challenges, Jackson Public Library continues to thrive, with a focus on keeping our community healthy and safe (thank you for wearing your mask when you visit!) while providing the books and services you expect and enjoy.

The JPL Library Staff is unmatched for enthusiasm, dedication, and patron-centered focus. From finding that perfect read, to assisting with research, to accessing technology - just ask a Staff member! Many thanks to Lichen, Meredith, Lisa and Gloria for all they do to keep the JPL open and welcoming for patrons and visitors alike.

Here are some of our highlights for 2021:

JPL is open 5 days each week, with curbside delivery available upon request.
Internet access capabilities were upgraded and expanded. Other IT services include patron computer availability, remote printing and Chromebook lending.
For the most part, indoor programs have been limited to small groups (we welcome your ideas in this area!) or Zoom format.
Our Summer Reading Program was a great success, with our tent providing a safe environment in which children could interact and learn.
Summer concerts on the lawn and under our tent proved to be challenging - we just couldn’t predict or control the weather! Our performers received high praise from the brave souls who showed up despite some damp and dreary weather.
JPL and the Jackson Grammar School are partnering to provide weekly Library visits and services for students in grades K-6. The excitement shown by the students tells us that the Library is an important part of their lives.

And now for the 2021 numbers. Total circulation was 19,477 items loaned, comprised of 6587 adult books, 5954 juvenile books, 4477 DVD’s, 2182 audiobooks, 1099 eBooks and 449 other non-print materials. Total patron visits were over 14,428. Active patrons totaled 508.

Visit our website at www.jacksonlibrary.org for Library news, and information about upcoming events and materials available to borrow. Look for our newly enhanced catalog system (Aspen Discovery) in 2022 for improved user-friendly access to JPL’s many offerings.

Thanks to the dedicated JPL Staff for continuing to step up to the challenges of operating in a Covid-19 environment, to my colleagues on the JPL Board of Trustees for their guidance in navigating the many issues we faced this year, and to the Friends of the Jackson Public Library who continue to provide funding for many a program, book purchase, special project and other needs as they arise. It is a privilege to be associated with this team of people who

are passionate about the Jackson Public Library and its place in our community.

And thanks to you for supporting the Jackson Public Library!

Linda M. Terry, Chair

Jackson Public Library Board of Trustees

We have a small selection of tax forms at the circulation desk. If you need something else, we will be glad to print them. Need the instructions or want to file online? Check out a Chromebook. So many choices.

This month:

We are now offering socially distanced story time on Thursday mornings by appointment. This means you and your crew will have exclusive time with Ms. Meredith and Petunia. Contact the library to make arrangements.

We have a selection of favorites wrapped up and waiting for you, no hints, just grab one off our shelf and take it home. The investment is low, the emotional risk is minimal, and you may just fall in love with something new.

Our book club meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 4:30pm.

On March 8th we will be discussing local Dave Kobrenski's Finding the Source. "On the outskirts of a remote African village, the blacksmith's widow is rumored to still be alive. And her dark magic is Dave's last hope of ending a twenty-year curse." Copies are available now.

See our list of upcoming titles online.

Join us on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 2pm for some chat and crafting.

Text notices of holds available for pickup

We can now text you when a book you're waiting for is ready to be picked up!

Here is how:

Log into your account HERE (if you don’t know your password, please give us a call at 603-383-9731 and we will assign a new one)
Scroll down toward the bottom of the page and click “your messaging” in the left hand column.
Under SMS, click the boxes you’d like to be notified for by text (when an item is due, when a hold has been filled for you etc).
Add your cell phone number (area code included) in the box: SMS number
Select your cell service carrier from the drop down window: SMS provider. This step is essential. If you don't find your carrier, let us know.
Click “Submit changes” button

The texting services is... unpredictable, so I recommend continuing to get emails too, just in case.

New in our collection!

Told from the perspective of almost 11-year-old Kenyatta Bernice (KB), this coming-of-age novel follows KB as she is sent to live with her estranged grandfather where she, as everything and everyone changes around her, is forced to carve out a different identity for herself and find her own voice.

More new fiction.

Biographer Sebba delivers a sympathetic yet opaque portrait of Ethel Rosenberg, “the only American woman killed for a crime other than murder.” Convicted of espionage and executed alongside her husband, Julius, in 1953, Rosenberg was “a committed Communist,” according to Sebba, but not a Soviet spy.

More new nonfiction.

Releases February 15!

The 8th book in the popular Hilo series is here.

The earth has been remade and magical creatures are everywhere-now Gina, DJ, and Hilo have to find the key to turn the world back to what it was.