Dyslexia is a specific learning disability in reading. People with dyslexia have trouble reading accurately and fluently. They may also have trouble with reading comprehension, spelling and writing. This post includes many resources on dyslexia.
The Annual Book Sale at the Stonington Village Fair
Looking to donate books for The Annual Book Sale at the Stonington Village Fair? Beginning June 8th, SFL volunteers will be accepting donations at the United Church at 67 Main St., Stonington on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm, and Wednesdays from 3pm to 6pm until July 13th. We are looking for volunteers for pricing and sorting books, and to work the day of the Fair Saturday, August 3.
Stonington Non-Profits Volunteer Fair
Looking for volunteer opportunities in Town? Stop by the Stonington Non-Profits Volunteer Fair on Saturday, June 1 from 10 to 12. The Fair will be on the lawn outside the Library facing Water St. A number of non-profit organizations will be in attendance to discuss volunteer opportunities.
Adobe Creative Cloud Now Available at the Library
On Library Giving Day we received a generous offer from Sibby Lynch and Michael Schefers to fund a year’s subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud. This includes well-known programs for video, design, photography, and the web, such as Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Acrobat and more.
Announcing The J.D. McClatchy Memorial Corner
We are very excited to announce that The J. D. McClatchy Memorial Corner in the Library Gallery is completed. Our patrons and visitors are welcome to browse and enjoy this unique collection, a gift of the estate of J. D. (Sandy) McClatchy (August 12th 1945-April 10th 2018) to the Stonington Free Library. This collection is non-circulating, but can be explored and enjoyed within this special place.
SFL Nightclub
This summer the Library collaborated with Deidre Toole, Community Classroom Coordinator and Transition Counselor at Stonington High School on an inclusive pilot program called SFL Nightclub.
Little Free Libraries
The Little Free Library movement began in 2009 when Todd Bol built a miniature model schoolhouse, put it on a post in his front yard, filled it with books and put up a
sign stating, “Free Books.” It was a way to honor his mom—a former school teacher— and to share his love of reading with his neighborhood. The idea took off, and now there are thousands of Little Free Libraries and thanks to a collaboration between the Stonington Village Improvement Association, Stonington High School and the Library, we have four of these magical structures right here in Stonington.
Library Receives $550 Grant from Mystic Woman’s Club
Our sincerest thanks to the Mystic Woman’s Club for their grant of $550 which has allowed us to purchase an additional book cart and materials for our branch at the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center. Library volunteers run the PNC branch every Wednesday from 10 to 11:30. Stop by to sign up for a library card, check out items or place requests for items to be brought at an upcoming visit. The Library’s collaboration with the PNC to create this branch began in January 2017. Since it began the branch has served 301 people who have checked out 514 items.
An Update on Sustainability & Accessibility
This past October the Library held a Community Conversation and Open House week to present its recently completed Strategic Plan to the community. President of the Board Nick Kepple and several Trustees including Kate Randolph, Allegra Griffiths and Denise Easton reported on the goals of the Strategic Plan, the Library’s financial situation and a proposed addition to the building to make the Library accessible and ADA compliant. Since the Community Conversation, the Library has continued an advocacy campaign to town leaders and submitted two funding requests to the town. The first request was for an increase to the Library’s annual municipal funding, which supports Library operations. The second request was for town capital improvement funds to assist with making the building accessible and ADA compliant.
Our Strategic Plan is Now Available to the Community
These are exciting times at the Stonington Free Library! Two years ago the Board of Trustees launched a strategic planning process. We engaged a highly respected consulting firm to assist us on the most rewarding and valuable part of the planning process—engaging the community. The community’s response to our outreach was overwhelmingly positive and reflected a remarkable level of participation. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with the community as we implement new strategic initiatives to improve Stonington Free Library’s services and programs. We are grateful for the generous support of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut whose funding made it possible for the library to create this plan.
