BRYAN MAIN-CHILDREN’ S SERVICES
This year, the Youth Services Department focused on creating more welcoming spaces, expanding learning opportunities, and increasing community engagement for children, teens, and families.
One of our most significant projects was returning the Juvenile Nonfiction collection to the Children ' s Dept. making it more accessible for young readers and their caregivers. Along with this move, we expanded the collection by adding a wide variety of new titles to better support curiosity, school assignments, and lifelong learning. We also created an audio-visual center so our Juvenile DVDs, Playaways, books on CD, and Launchpads are all in one place for patrons to access!
To support students and educators in our community, we created The Terrarium, a dedicated tutoring space that is available free of charge for tutors and students to reserve. This quiet, welcoming environment has provided an invaluable resource for academic support and one-on-one learning.
We also continued to enhance the Children ' s Department with new toys, interactive activities, and hands-on learning experiences. Rachel ' s Garden received additional play features and activities, creating even more opportunities for imaginative play, exploration, and family engagement.
Programming continued to grow in both size and variety throughout the year. Summer Reading saw great numbers, and patrons enjoyed lots of programming options, from the Summer Reading Kickoff Party to the return of the Exotic Zoo! Our inaugural Halloween Party welcomed more than 200 attendees, making it one of our largest family events to date and demonstrating the community ' s enthusiasm for free, family-friendly programming. Another great example of this is the Breakfast with Santa program we hold in December, which includes delicious pancakes, sausage, and more.
In addition, we expanded our STEM programming for children and teens with engaging events designed to encourage creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on discovery. These programs, along with our ongoing youth offerings, have helped foster a love of learning while bringing families together through educational experiences.
As we look ahead, the Youth Services Department remains committed to providing innovative collections, engaging programs, and welcoming spaces that inspire reading, learning, and connection for every young person and family we serve.