Our Adult Clubs will return to the Library this month – Hooray! Knitting, cross-stitching, art, and book discussions, including a brand new Book Group called the Northwest Book Club, formerly the Elizabethtown Book Club, who lost their meeting space and has reassembled in-person at our Library!

In December, Northwest Bank’s Carl Hackman presented the Library with a check for $1000.

Northwest was a matching donor for the Extra Give. We are grateful for their continuing support!

We have opened a new virtual store at the Library called Reading Treasures.

During the September Friends’ Meeting, a check for $15,000 was presented to the Library for funds earned at this year’s Used Book Sale. (Pictured right to left: Donna Little and Friends’ Treasurer Marilyn Barnett)

Our self-service donation shed is open for gently-used books and media. The shed will be open Wed/Thurs 10-8 and Sat 9-noon. If the shed is full when you bring your items, we ask you to bring come back the next available day. Please do not leave donations outside the shed.

The Library roof has been an issue for many years. When inside the Library, there are visible water stains on ceiling tiles throughout the building. Specifically, the rubber roof people cannot see behind the green metal roof façade has been leaking and has been repaired many times over the years. The Library’s lighting, security system, and insulation have all been impacted. Additionally, the gutters on the roof proved to be a constant problem during the winter months. Their small size caused improper roof run-off leading to the formation of dangerous icicles over the building sidewalks and entrances.

In 2019, Library staff wrote and won a Keystone Grant from the PA Department of Education. To help meet the matching component of the grant, money was donated by the Lions Club of Mount Joy, the Rotary Club of Mount Joy, generous donors at the Library’s 2019 benefit auction, and our Library patrons.

Dillon raised funds to install a flag box for retired American flags as his Eagle Scout project. His troop will periodically collect the flags and provide a proper retirement ceremony for the flags. When your American flag is torn or worn or has seen better days, we invite you to bring them to this repository located near the Library’s flag pole.

After the Used Book Sale August 13-15, the Friends will be accepting book donations at specific times during the 2-week period of August 21 thru September 1. Please see the dates, times, and guidelines below.

Public libraries in Lancaster County will reopen with limited services as the County moves from Red to Yellow. The health and safety of patrons and staff are of highest importance, therefore not all services will be immediately available when libraries reopen, consistent with recommendations from the PA Office of Commonwealth Libraries. For example, the difficult decision has been made to cancel all holds requests for all library patrons of Lancaster County’s public libraries. Due to the limitations of the library database software, there was no easy way to fulfill patron holds while allowing for the safe and timely handling of library materials. Other services, like public use computers and in-person programming, will be available again once they can be provided safely and within CDC guidelines.

Strict procedures for the safe handling and quarantining of returned library items will be in place before print materials, CDs, and DVDs can be checked out to the public again. Many libraries will use a curbside delivery or pickup system to convey items to their patrons while maintaining recommended social distancing. The public is encouraged to contact their local library to find out what services will be available in their area.

Our libraries have remained open for business online throughout the stay-at-home order by expanding access to library cards, bolstering digital content, and offering virtual programming, but we are eager to get back to lending paper books and providing other in-person services. “We have missed our patrons as much as they’ve missed us. We’re eager to resume a lot of our physical, public-facing services, but we need to do it in a way that is safe and trustworthy,” says Karla Trout, Library System Executive Director. “It’s a new world for all of us, but we’re adapting to continue meeting the needs of our community.”

A few of our Lancaster County public libraries will remain closed at this time, until we can better safely accommodate the public and staff in those spaces. Visit https://lancasterlibraries.org for a list of public libraries in Lancaster and how to contact your local library, and check social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram for ongoing updates.

New to our website – Browsealoud is innovative support software that adds speech, reading, and translation to websites facilitating access and participation for people with Dyslexia, Low Literacy, English as a Second Language, and those with mild visual impairments. Online content can be read aloud in multiple languages using the most natural and engaging voice to transform the user’s reading experience.This product was secured by a grant through Census 2020 funding. When you visit our website, look for the logo in the lower right corner and click on it. www.mslibrary.org