A day in the life of the Library sees many children and their parents participating in programs, learning new skills, discovering new books and movies, making new friends, and having fun.  Every activity creates a unique experience for the participants.  A small program that has been having a big impact on children-and on their families is Wagging Their Tails for Tales:  Reading Therapy Dogs.

Wagging Their Tails for Tales: Reading Therapy Dogs is a program held in cooperation with Therapy Dogs International, Inc. (TDI) in Flanders, NJ (online at www.tdi-dog.org).  One of TDI's many services is the 'Tail Waggin' Tutors' program, for which handlers and their dogs are trained so they may participate in Therapy Dogs programs at schools, libraries, hospitals and other public venues. 

The Library's Wagging Their Tails for Tales program is geared towards children in grades 1-4 who may have trouble learning how to read or are self-conscious about reading in front of classmates.  Building confidence by practicing reading skills is the overall goal of the program.  Janet Kreason, Head of Youth Servies, had a longtime interest in bringing a Therapy Dogs program to the Library and put Youth Services librarian Melinda Taormina in charge of investigating the possibilities and organizing the Library's program, which began in 2008.

Wagging Their Tails for Tales' first handler, Iris Bartkowski, and her dogs, Cleo and Bailey, were at the Library for 2 hours each visit, with each child reading to the dogs for 15 minutes.  That pilot program gave over 40 children the opportunity to practice their reading skills in a comfortable, non-judgmental environment.  Children were excited and felt successful; parents were thrilled at their children's willingness to read for 15 minutes without being cajoled.  It was a win-win situation that begged for repeat performances, so in the fall of 2008, the program began to be scheduled on a monthly basis.

The Shenendehowa School District was contacted, and reading teachers and elementary school teachers passed along information about the program to children and their parents.  Library brochures and other promotional materials featured the program, and parents responded very positively.

"TDI Dogs come in all shapes and sizes; real dogs with real personalities and real love to share.  TDI's reading program (training) provides a wonderful opportunity for children to interact with and learn about dogs in a positive manner."  The Library has had a variety of dogs participate, ranging from the small Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to the large yellow Labrador Retriever.  In addition to the intended benefits of improving their child's reading skills, parents sometimes bring a child who is afraid of dogs, so that the child can greet a calm, friendly dog in a controlled environment and perhaps alleviate some of their fear.

The Library's Children's Activity Room is where the program takes place, with the handler and the dog waiting on the colorful rug for the fun to begin!  Children are allotted 15-minute slots, by appointment or walk-in if available.  They may pick from a basket of books selected by the librarians, read from selections they bring from home, or choose from our shelves upon arrival.  Most children read several books aloud to the dog, sometimes brushing the dog, and often petting and cuddling the dog.  Parents remain nearby but often choose to leave the room so their child can read without an audience, responding just to the encouraging, quiet presence of the dog and handler.  

Recently, the mother of a 7 year old girl confided in Ms. Taormina that her child was a very reluctant reader. She said that since she started bringing her daughter regularly to the Wagging Their Tails for Tales' program, her daughter's willingness to read aloud and to tackle unfamiliar words has increased dramatically.  "Her confidence has improved along with her reading, and now she has begun to read before bedtime, by herself.  She wants to read now, and that was never the case.  Recently, on an afternoon that she was scheduled for a Wagging Their Tails for Tales' appointment, my husband came home from work early.  This is a big treat for the kids, and usually nothing can tear them away.  My daughter still wanted to come to the Library, and that's when I knew she was loving the experience and feeling good about her reading."  Contact the Library's Youth Services department at 371-8622 X2251 for information about the program and to schedule an appointment.

During National Library Week, we encourage library patrons and all residents of our Clifton  Park and Halfmoon Library community to take a moment to nominate their favorite book.  Ballot boxes will be at the Library, Clifton Park Town Hall, Shenendehowa Adult Community Center, Halfmoon Town Hall, Halfmoon Senior Center. Southern Saratoga YMCA, CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services, Borders and East Line Books. Nominations may also be made on-line at www.twotownsonebook.org beginning April 8th.  Nominations will close on May 7, 2011.

Once our community nominates its favorite books, the Two Towns  -  One Book Selection Committee will choose five of the nominated books for a final public vote to determine The BOOK.  When nominating a book, please consider:

                 The BOOK can be fiction or non-fiction, recent or classic.

                 The BOOK should be of interest to both men and women.

                 The BOOK should be of interest to a range of ages, from  

                 teens to seniors

                 The BOOK should be a rich reading experience that will  

                 stimulate thought and discussion.  Many events and    

                 programs will be planned around The BOOK.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to enrich our community

and share your love of reading!

Please join the Friends of the Library for our Annual Springtime Celebration on Wednesday, May 25th, at 7:00 pm.

Don't  miss  this  opportunity  to  gather  with  the  FOL  Board  and  other dedicated volunteers who support the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library with significant contributions of time, talent and treasure!

The winners of our 2011 Scholarships and their families will be honored and will receive their awards.  Generous donors will also receive recognition.  Help us welcome new Board members, Lynn Racht and Ann Christoffel.  Finally, the Board will present a PowerPoint Summary of their achievements for the year. We look forward to many of our members attending this Annual Meeting. 

We  encourage  members  of  the  Library  Board  of  Trustees,  FOL  Committee Chairs,  Library  staff  and  active  members  of  the  Friends  to  attend  and participate in the discussions.  Members interested in finding out more about the  Friends  and  how  they  may  participate  in  our  organization  are  also welcome.

Delicious  refreshments  will  be  served.    This  program  will  be  held  in  the Library Program Rooms C & D.  Registration for this program is recommended.  To register, go to the Library website calendar.  Advance the calendar to May and locate our event on May 25th.   Deadline for registration is May 18. 

Celebrating Commitment, Service,

and Contributions to our Library Community

 During my working days, I did the talking and my subordinates listened - or they were supposed to be listening - and then hoped they would carry out my instructions.  One needed to have an aggressive personality for this job.  My charge was to motivate others;  I was expected to "make something happen" (every day).  One could go from hero to goat very quickly if he couldn't adapt to the changing circumstances of the market.  The ability to "keep three balls in the air at the same time" was a definite advantage.

I got to thinking the other day about how life has changed since I retired:  the change in my demeanor; not forced on me by circumstance, but coming from within, from a desire to change how I face the world.  Freed from the gnawing demands of a working life that at times seemed to consume all my days and nights, I've arrived at that stage of life when you begin to let go of all the things you were.  I'm now content to "live and let live."  I listen patiently to the telemarketer's spiel knowing that he's  as reluctant to make the call as I am to accept it.  I look forward to the nightly cribbage game with my wife.

Able to let go of the egoism that drove me during my working days, I now see the people in my life - especially those closest to me - through a clearer lens.  It seems that shortly after I retired  I made my move to become a listener;  after all, one can learn from listening.  I don't know anyone who ever learned anything from talking.  From the start I discovered that the transition was not going to be easy; my inclination to dominate the conversation had become a pernicious habit. I found it difficult not to jump into discussions to refute what someone had said.

Now deep into retirement, I'll take some credit for recognizing that everybody has something to say.  I try to listen rather intently to what the other person is saying even if I'm not interested in his topic.  I no longer have to "have the last word".  I've let go of old resentments, forgiving those who may have slighted me sometime in the past.  I can feel good about that; it makes living with myself a lot easier.

I'll compliment someone on a job well done; I may offer suggestions on how to solve a problem, but only if asked for my opinion.  Otherwise I try to avoid telling people  what they should do even if I don't agree with them. (I've noticed that some of my friends have yet to change in that way.)  Recently I had to make an exception to my new rules and ask a very nice neighbor to please refrain from smoking when he comes to visit.

I'm hoping that my new persona is projecting the real me to the world. By changing over to listener, I've brought some serenity to my life that wasn't there before.  Moreover it's resulted in a new perceptivity (a prerequisite trait for one who would be a writer), to see the world in all its diversity, tolerating other's views even as they differ from my own.

This year the Outreach Committee will hold a single Buy-One, Get-One-Free Scholastic Book Fair, on June 3rd, 4th, and 5th.  As a service to the community, the fair provides high quality children's books at very reasonable prices.  Book Fair hours are:

     Friday, June 3rd, 2 - 5 pm

     Saturday, June 4th, 10 - 3 pm

     Sunday, June 5th, 12 - 4 pm

The Outreach Committee donates over 1000 books a year to various groups in our area.  We brings books to home-bound individuals and provide many services that

support the Library.

Mark your calendars!  We hope to see you in June.