THE BIXBY BULLETIN

June 2026

 

Director's Dispatch

 
 

Summer is finally here! I’ve been enjoying the blooming trees and flowers, listening to the birds, and hearing the peepers. So many peepers!


We had a fun and successful spring fundraiser last month at the Depths of Discovery Gala. Guests danced to The Grift, enjoyed food from local vendors, competed in our silent auction, and took in the festive décor, including the giant whale on the front lawn. I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to every business and individual who donated their time, resources, talents, funds, and auction items to make my first Bixby Gala such a success. If you missed it this year, don’t worry, you’ll have another chance to enjoy it next spring. We’re already tossing around ideas for next year’s theme!



With mixed emotions, we are also saying goodbye to two amazing employees. Miranda Degreenia, our Community Engagement Manager, has graduated from UVM with her Master of Public Administration and will be moving on to a position with the UVM College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Shelby Gagne, our Children and Youth Services Librarian, will be taking on the same role at the Waterbury Public Library. Both women have been integral members of our staff and have raised the bar through their outstanding programming, energy, and service. We wish them all the best as they begin their new adventures.


As an aside, please be patient with us this summer as we work to hire their replacements. It won’t be easy to fill these positions, and we want to take the time needed to find the right fit for our small but mighty staff.


Our heating project continues to make progress. Contractors are wrapping up Phase One this week and next. Phase Two, which includes installing the new radiators, is expected to begin in late August or early September. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more about the timeline.


I hope everyone has a wonderful summer, and we look forward to seeing you at the Bixby!

Jennifer Pearson

Library Director

 

What's New?

Booked for Bikes: Pre-K to 8th Grade Summer Reading Challenge

From June 16 through August 15, kids ages pre-K through Grade 8 can participate in our Summer Reading program, Booked for Bikes! This year's theme, Unearth a Story, features fun dinosaur-related prizes.


Pick up your tracking forms from the Bixby to log your reading minutes. After submitting these slips at the library, you will be entered into a drawing to win weekly prizes, along with the grand prize: a new bike! Every entry also earns you a colorful bead to adorn your tracking bracelet or necklace.


Booked for Bikes was launched in 1997 by Scott Gaines, and continues to be a meaningful literary tradition for our five-town community. Many thanks to the Greater Vergennes Rotary for their generous sponsorship of this program!

Unearth a Story: Adult and Young Adult Summer Reading Challenge

Adults and young adults (ages 14+) are invited to read their way to rewards this summer!

From June 16 through August 15, pick up a fossil-themed bookmark in the library lobby and track your reading progress across six different categories. For each book you finish, scratch off the golden sticker for that category to reveal a hidden fossil and write the author's last name on the shovel.


Once you've completed your bookmark, bring it to the Circulation Desk to be entered into a raffle for one of four $25 Vergennes Green Gift Certificates, redeemable at more than 60 local businesses. Start digging into great books this summer and unearth your next favorite story!

Mark Your Calendar!

 
Programs for All Ages
 
 
Adult Programs
 
 
Youth Programs
 
 

Staff Recommendations

 

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

This New York Times bestselling thriller felt like a unique story. The book follows a con artist who is given new names and shady assignments by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith. Her current assignment, as Evie Porter, has her beginning to envision a different kind of life for herself. This story is full of twists and turns, along with the constant feeling of not knowing who can be trusted.



Martha Sanborn, Circulation Desk Manager

A Good Person by Kirsten King

This is the kind of messy, compulsively readable novel that's impossible to look away from. The story follows Lillian, a deeply flawed and self-centered protagonist whose situationship ends badly, leading her to perform a hex – only for the man to turn up dead the next day. What makes the book so entertaining is how King fully commits to Lillian’s chaotic inner voice. She is cringe-worthy, funny, delusional, and oddly relatable all at once. Blending dark humor, psychological suspense, and sharp commentary on modern dating culture, the novel is so engaging that it’s hard not to keep rooting for Lillian. Fans of characters like Gone Girl’s Amy Dunne will love this one – a bold debut that explores obsession, insecurity, and the stories people tell themselves to feel like the hero.


Shelby Gagne, Children and Youth Services Librarian

Questions or comments on this month's newsletter?

Contact Bixby Bulletin Editor-in-Chief, Miranda Degreenia.

Library Hours:

Tuesday–Thursday: 10 AM–7 PM

Friday–Saturday: 10 AM–3 PM

(802) 877-2211

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