All upcoming chess sessions, including tomorrow’s (10/28), have been canceled. This series will be rescheduled after the holidays. Thank you for your understanding.

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Welcome to 2022! Peeking back—2021 was a busy year at Meekins—inside and out. While the building was closed—we checked in, checked out and bagged up thousands of books for lobby pick up or curbside and even at-home delivery. We added “new materials” display for browsing through the glass—and retrieved anything requested on the spot. “Pop-Ups” on the patio arrived with fair weather and people flocked to actually browse among the new items. Behind the scenes we ordered, cataloged, and processed the many new books and magazines that were ready to be checked out.

We telephoned and e-chatted and e-mailed—answering reference questions near and far.

We promoted our online sources and coached and encouraged use of ACORN and Hoopla and Libby too. We Zoomed youth programs like the twice weekly story times and various youth STEM projects and games and adult events including a “Broken Streets” book talk with Roland Merullo, and cultural conversations about several Irish poets in March. We hosted the social justice program “Mindful of Race.” We participated in the “Station 11” community read. The Riverside Room was redesigned and refurbished—much to the delight of the Anne T. Dunphy students who returned to the “new” digs at the very end of the school year.

Mid-year we lost the long-time staff member most often seen behind the circulation desk, Michele, to a new career in a Midwestern state. Social media maven Lisa moved south just a few weeks later. Luckily, Beth and Sue, veteran Meekins Library people, joined us—adding their skills and new faces for you to see .

With many cheers, we reopened our doors in June, inviting our patrons back into a spic and span library chock full of books and DVDs and more. We did not forget our online presence and presented a newly designed website to our public, as well. The summer reading program returned online, with outdoor visits from living zoo animals and a magician.

a metal bookshelf filled with assorted books is visible through a window. a "free totes" sign and a "what's new?" display with books are positioned outside the window.

By fall, school classes were back every week and full open hours resumed. Craft, science, and game programs multiplied. Escape Rooms were packed, and Dungeons and Dragons games are full. The Trustees and Library staff started a long-range planning process and offer thanks to so many in the community for answering the Library survey. Nick and his cadre of very strong volunteers created a new brick walkway to the steps of original Meekins building. We added a new visible “Open” sign so people will know at-a-glance that they can stop in. The Friends held mini summer book sales and their annual always well attended October book sale. Halloween festivities were held in front of the original pillared portico. We rescued chipmunks from the Picture Book Room and mice from the stacks. We knit by Zoom and in person. We read Sherlock Holmes virtually in February and in December we read Patricia MacLachlan’s local holiday story “The True Gift” safely together.

The much-anticipated Meekins Market returned and had a flood of new and repeat visitors and we added a special raffle. The year ended with a “hunt” for Sadie, the late Library cat, whose pictures are hidden all around the Meekins. New Throwback Thursday moments appeared every week, sharing bits of the story of the Library as Meekins celebrated its 125th anniversary all year long. We wish our friends and neighbors near and far a happy and healthy New Year. Daria D’Arienzo, Archivist and photographer. #throwbackthursday; #tbt.

Posted to Facebook 1/6/2022

a small, gray stone building with columns at the entrance is pictured under a partly cloudy sky at dusk. a wheelchair accessible sign is visible near the front steps.
a person holds a book titled "i am the storm" in front of a cluttered desk with a computer displaying a library catalog entry for the same book.
a tall stack of books sits on a cluttered desk next to a computer, keyboard, papers, office supplies, and a mug in a workspace labeled "technical services.
a display rack holds brown paper bags labeled with colorful sheets, next to a bulletin board with flyers and a craft kit notice.
a handmade sign reading "get books" is attached to a bench outdoors, with leafless trees and a lamp post in the background.
two girls are selecting books from a rolling book cart outdoors on a sunny day, with one sitting on a metal chair and the other crouching by the cart.
a person wearing a hat and face mask stands next to an open drawer in an office or library setting.
a woman standing indoors holds a vase of colorful flowers and smiles at the camera. she wears a black jacket and has a white bag over her shoulder.
a flag reading "open" is displayed outside a stone building with the address 2013 engraved on a wall. trees with autumn leaves and a clear blue sky are visible.
a display of various books is arranged on a wooden table near a window, with bouquets of flowers in vases behind the books.
a person wearing a mask works on a large, old blue trunk covered with labels, in a library setting with bookshelves in the background.
a brick pathway under construction leads to the entrance of a stone building; caution tape blocks off the unfinished section.
four people work together laying bricks on a sidewalk, using tools to position and secure the bricks in place on a sunny day.
a german shepherd sits on a brick sidewalk next to a table with a "meekins library strategic planning survey 2021" sign and blue tablecloths.
a woman wearing a mask and glasses holds a small wire cage containing a rodent in an indoor setting.
four people in costumes stand outside a stone building; one wears a black cloak, one a white dress, one a red cape with an oversized mushroom hat, and one a colorful shawl.
a round table displays assorted plush toys, board games, children's books, and small gifts in a wood paneled room, with a stuffed mammoth hanging above.