Library Activities: April 2024

National Library Week
In honor of National Library week (April 7-13th), the Libraries donated all fines received (and waived half for people participating!) to the Sandy Community Action Center and Neighborhood Missions.  At Sandy the amount collected to purchase needed food items at Sandy Community Action Center was $153.85, and Hoodland collected $17.70 for neighborhood Missions.  Thank you to everyone who paid their fines this week!

Dianne Downey retired from the Hoodland Library after 25 years of service.  Dianne was a Clackamas County library employee until 2009 when Sandy took on the management of the Hoodland branch.  We held a retirement party at the Hoodland Library during open hours.  A number of library patrons came to say farewell.

Greg Fox promoted in Sandy and Hoodland Library as our Technical Services Library Assistant!  Greg Fox joined the library in 2015 as a Shelver. In 2019, he also became a Substitute Clerk, and in 2022 he became a part-time Library Clerk.  He has assisted with our STEM programming in the Teen Makerspace and started leading the Kids’ STEM programs in 2023.

Lara Wilent and Alex Steinmetz changed positions in Sandy and Hoodland Library as our Hoodland Lead Library Assistants!  Lara became a City of Sandy Library Clerk when Sandy Library took on management of the Hoodland branch in 2009.  Before that, she had worked at the Hoodland Library for many years as a County employee.  Alex Steinmetz joined the Library Advisory Board in January 2023, then began working as a substitute clerk for the libraries in August 2023.  She started a position as Library Assistant – Graphic Design in March 2024.  Alex will work two days a week in Sandy and three in Hoodland and will continue to do our graphic design and public relations work for both libraries.

Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS)
ODHS is in the Library. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00am – 3:00pm for drop-in assistance.

Facebook, Instagram, and Library Blog
1736 Followers on Facebook (Sandy Public Library Friends) (1713 last month)
Top Posts on Facebook (by engagement): 41 National Librarian Day, 40 Library Workers Day, 31 Enola’s Apology

944 Followers on Instagram (931 last month)  We had 217 post interactions, 197 likes, 2 comments, 2 saves, and 16 shares

Top Instagram posts (by engagement): 19 people reacted to National Library Workers Day, 16 to Enola’s Apology, and 15 to Wy’East In Bloom Exhibit

Top Library Blog posts (by engagement): 45 May Book Club, 33 Celebrating Teen Literature with Rebecca Hanset, 26 Celebrating Children’s Picture Book Day & D.E.A.R. Day

Computer Users
Sandy 514 sessions
Hoodland 112 sessions

Mobile Printing Send prints from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Call the library on the same day to have staff release the print job. Pick up your prints in person or through our Curbside Service.  
Sandy – 59 users printed 229 jobs (707 pages)
Hoodland – 37 users printed 92 jobs (277 pages)

New Library Accounts  Sandy 123, Hoodland 22

Checkouts 
Sandy – 2727 sessions. This averages 91 sessions/day (90 last month) 9,977 items
Hoodland – 566 sessions.  This averages 21 sessions/day (23 last month) 1721 items
We checked out a total of 11,698 items (last month 12,157) curbside pickup and browsing.

Kids Programs
Special
Dia del Nino / Children’s day 135 people attended. 10 kids and 10 adults attended our Spanish language storytime.   We gave away 23 books in Spanish and 16 in English.

Ongoing
Take & Make – 120 (100 Sandy and 20 Hoodland). Handprint Lilies.  Take & Make available beginning on the 15th day of the month.  

Vista Apartments – 32 kids attended for literacy and STEM activities.

NEW *Pioneer Mobile Home Park – 30 kids and 16 adults attended this new monthly outreach event for painting and planting

LEGO Club – Sandy 12 kids and 11 adults

STEM Club – 15 kids and 9 adults came to make 3D printed bubble wands

Read to the Dog – 10 kids attended to read to Tanis

Reading Tutoring – 26 one hour sessions of reading tutoring  at Sandy (1 tutor and 1 student each).

Storytimes
Storytime videos were posted in our Facebook Group: Sandy and Hoodland Libraries – Storytime Parents Group.  Use numbers were recorded after 1 week. All Storytimes were presented by librarian Monica Smith – unless otherwise noted.

The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli 
9 kids and 8 adults attended in the Library
You Are Ready! The World Is Waiting by Eric Carle
Facebook – 14 views, 2 reactions

The Bunnies Are Not In Their Beds by Marisabina Russo
12 kids and 11 adults attended in the Library
I’m Not Small by Nina Crews 
Facebook – 14 views, 2 reactions

Penguin On Vacation by Salina Yoon presented by Alex Steinmetz
10 kids and 8 adults attended in the Library
Superbaby by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard
Facebook – 14 views

Where Is The Green Sheep by Mem Fox presented by Briana Chase
18 kids and 15 adults attended in the Library
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Facebook – 13 views, 1 reaction

Our New Saturday Storytime is gaining a few visitors 10 kids and 9 adults attended 

NEW! *Spanish Storytime – 7 kids and 4 adults attended this new program which happens weekly on Sunday at 1:00 pm

Storytimes at Hoodland Presented by Molly Espenel.  40 kids and 35 adults.

Teen Programs
Special
World Culinary Tour – 16 teens attended to try foods from around the world.  This program was created, planned, and marketed by the Teen Advisory Board.

Ongoing
Take & Make – 100 (80 Sandy and 20 Hoodland). Wind-up Magic Butterfly.  Take & Make available beginning on the 1st day of the month.

MakerSpace – 9 teens attended our Makerspace Camp at the Community Center.  They made Mason bee houses and Laser Engraved S’mores.

Teen Hangout – 10 teens attended to make butterfly pranks and S’mores

Teen Library Advisory Board (TLAB) – 4 teens attended to work on their next culinary adventure.

Adult Programs
Special
5 Common Strategies for Estate Planning – 30 people attended this seminar with CEO, Jamie D. Worley of American Family Estate Preservation-Northwest

Celebration of Poetry – 3 people attended to share poems with one another.

Ongoing
Take & Make – 100 (80 Sandy and 20 Hoodland).  Paper Hyacinths.  Take & Make available beginning on the 15th day of the month.

Blood drive with the American Red Cross – 38 people attended, 34 donors

Spanish Language Class – 22 people attended with one teacher

Creation Station – Creation Station is a twice monthly interactive program that welcomes adults with disabilities.  26 people attended on the 2nd Monday of the month and 23 attended on the 4th Monday.

ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Class – 10 people attended with 1 teacher
ESOL tutor – 13 one hour sessions (1 tutor and 1 student each)

Writing Group  – 31 people attended our writing group 

Fiber Arts Circle – 51 people attended in the Fireplace Room on Tuesday afternoons

Dungeons & Dragons – 4 people attended 

Computer Classes – 1 attended Keyboard and Mouse, 2 – Computer Basics, 2 – Microsoft Word, and 2 – Google Tools classes

NEW *Mahjong – 5 people attended this new monthly program at Hoodland.  Learn Mahjong and play! 

NEW *French Conversation group – 4 people attended this new group at Hoodland Library.

Book Clubs
Women’s Book Club – 14 people discussed The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Men’s Book Club – 8 people discussed Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
Digital Book Club – 5 people discussed Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
Hoodland Book Group – 5 people discussed How much of these Hills is Gold by C. Pam Zhang

Public Notary – Hoodland 5

Exhibits
We currently have an exhibit provided by the North American Bigfoot Center in Boring OR.  Come in to view it through June 8th.

Come into the Hoodland Library before July 10th to see the mixed media art of sandy resident Debrah Spencer.