Dear Friends,
I love knowing how much fun Skidompha staff members have creating themed book displays. The pandemic has given us more incentive to create digital book displays to share some of the titles we love in our newsletter and on social media, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do. We also love to pull books from our shelves, fill a library cart with them to spread them out on a table, or fill a display shelf with the titles we’ve found.
Celebrating Black History Month with books is one of the things we love doing each year! This year all of our departments worked together to create a display celebrating Black authors and voices, and you’ll find selections of these titles around the library. As you read through the newsletter each week this month, you’ll also find some of these digital book displays based on books we have for you to check out.
We are also very excited to let you know to let you know we have partnered with Healthy Lincoln County to create a Little Free Pantry stocked with food and personal care items. The pantry, located near Skidompha’s back entrance, is available during regular library hours. Although available products may vary, typical items will include pasta, rice, canned goods, cereal, and granola bars. The Lincoln County Gleaners will also provide fruits and vegetables during the summer gleaning season.
Started in Arkansas in 2016, the Little Free Pantry movement works to help combat food insecurity at the neighborhood level. Healthy Lincoln County is helping the movement by supporting small neighborhood food exchanges in different parts of Lincoln County and the surrounding area. Individuals are encouraged to “take what they need and leave what they can.”
For more information about the pantry, email our teen librarian, Kristi Favaloro, at kfavaloro@skidompha.org or Lee Emmons, from Healthy Lincoln County, at lemmons@healthylincolncounty.org. You can also call Skidompha at 563-5513 with any questions.
Local organizations that wish to start their own mini-pantry are encouraged to contact Lee Emmons directly at the email listed above or at 207-622-7566, ext. 236.
I am grateful to Kristi and Lee for getting this program started at Skidompha. Our community is stronger when we work together, and I am thankful for all of our community collaborations.
Be well,
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library