Dear Neighbors,
Happy Birthday to us! Today marks the 110th anniversary of the library’s opening on October 10, 1910, and my two year anniversary of working at John Jermain Library. For those who don’t know me, I am the Emerging Technologies Librarian at the library- you may have met me in a technology class, booked a “Book a Librarian” appointment with me for some tech help, attended a trivia program I hosted, or just met me in passing while I staffed the reference desk.
Time truly flew for me these past two years, but especially this year, with all the curveballs 2020 threw at us. It feels wonderful to be back in the library building these past couple of months, and we’re doubly grateful to be offering services such as Plaza Pick-Up and our Grab & Go browsing and computer/printing appointments to patrons, now that we can do so safely.
This year has tested us, just like everyone else, and we have grown. Our virtual programs and remote services are stronger than ever, we now have take & make activity kits, a homeschooling collection for parents, and a 3D printer that was used to help print face shield equipment for front line workers in the early days of the pandemic. We also launched a new Community Journal Project, where our library users can check out journals and sketchbooks on various topics and share their creativity and memories with the rest of the community. Our archive now has a digital collection on New York Heritage that anyone can browse from the comfort of their own home. And with all these changes, we’ve still kept adding new books to the library collection and even mailed out a Fall newsletter.
When I think over my last two years here, I am filled with love and pride for my colleagues that make this such a wonderful place to work. We all love this library. If you do too, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating our birthday by making a donation so we can keep making a positive impact on the Sag Harbor community. Any gift is meaningful, from $5 to $500. For the month of October, all gifts will be matched by an anonymous donor if we reach at least $10,000 in donations. And if we reach $20,000 in donations, that will be matched too. 10+10=20, just like our birthday, 10/10/2020. We hope you will help us continue to be the best we can be.
Arielle Hessler
Emerging Technologies Librarian