Summer Reading Review

Now you can download audio books 24/7 through our site!

Listen Up! Vermont is finally here. With Listen Up! Vermont, our library is never closed and you now have access to over 2,ooo  titles . Download audio books 24/7 from home, work, or anywhere. All you need is:

• A valid library card (please make sure you have updated info with us, or your number will NOT work. We can update your card via phone if this is easier for you)
• Internet access
• A computer or device that meets the system requirements for the type(s) of digital materials you wish to check out
• Free software for the computer or device on which you wish to use the materials available at this site.            
• Then just follow these 3 simple steps and you are set!

     Step 1 -  Click on the Listen Up! Vermont icon in  the top left corner of our website. Download and install the free software from it. As a first step, you need to download and install the free software that allows you to enjoy the type(s) of materials you are interested in.

To check out OverDrive titles, you need OverDrive Media Console™.

Step 2 – Activate the software After you have installed the software that you downloaded, you need to take steps to activate the software before downloading digital materials.

Step 3 – Check out, download, and enjoy! Browse or search this site for down loadable materials. When you locate a title of interest, add it to the basket and check out the title. Once you have checked out a title, a download page is displayed. Click the ‘Download’ link to start the download. Once the download is complete, open and enjoy the title. You will never accrue late fees with titles you download from this website. At the end of the loan period, titles will expire and be automatically ‘returned’ to the library. At this time, you can delete the expired file(s) from your computer.

Libraries Get Creative Family Fun Day!

     Over 150 parents and children took part in Franklin Counties first annual Libraries Get Creative Family Fun Day.  In celebration of summer reading and literacy, local librarians put their heads together and came up with a unique way to celebrate.This year children were able to run wild with Mike and the Big Blue Trunk, dance with Mark Sustic & the Fiddleheads and relax with a story from the Traveling Storyteller. Stay tuned for next years event. It is sure to make a splash, as the theme for the 2010 summer program is water!

Some much needed R&R for library staff

There will be no programs running during the month of August. Story hours will resume again on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 beginning on September 9th and teen events will begin again in October. We hope that you enjoy the rest of your summer!

Summer fun at the library

 Thank you for spending your summer with us. We had so much fun during our six weeks of Summer Reading programing and we hope that you did too!

Owney the Mail Pouch Pooch visits Highgate!

     Owney made a quick stop at the Highgate Public Library on Wednesday July 15th to spend the day with Jon Gailmore and local children at a summer reading event. These days, Owney is still a very busy mail pouch pooch, as he has plans to visit most public and school libraries across the state before next June! If you would like to find out more about Owney and his real life mail train adventures, stop in and check out his book:  Owney the Mail Pouch Pooch by Mona Kerby.

     To see some what Owney did in  Highgate, please visit our event photo page!

Are you interested in being a Friend of the Library?

What is a Friends’ group? This is a group of community members who join together to support, advocate, improve and promote the Library and its services.

How Is This Different from the Trustees? The work of the Friends is different from that of the  Trustees of the Library. While the Trustees set policy for the organization, the Friends provide the “extras”.

Who Can Join? Membership is available to any interested community member. To find out how you can help, please join us at our first meeting

Are You Interested in Being One of Our Friends? The level of involvement and commitment of a Friends member is determined by the individual and the time they are willing to devote to the group. Some members may be involved on a monthly basis, while others may only be contacted when needed.

Are you willing to help with:

_____ Serving on the board

_____ Attending meetings

_____ Publicity of events

_____ Fund raising events

_____ Baking items for the Annual Bake Sale

_____ Volunteering

_____ Other____________

Please  E-mail  Jamie Harris (Friends board president) at nj32@msn.com to get involved today!

Thank you.

Memorial Day Parade Photos

Thank you to all those who came and Got Creative with us in the Memorial Day Parade!

Thank You IBM for caring about Highgate!

Once again local IBM employees showed the Highgate community just how much they care. On Wednesday May 13, six employees volunteered their time for IBM’s Day of Caring to tackle some much needed outside projects. Thanks to this hardworking group, the library has a fresh coat of paint and our side lawn looks ready for summer. Thank you also to Brittney and Jay Spaulding of Open Earth Landscaping for donating the mulch for this project.

What’s the BIG idea about math & science?

     The Highgate Public Library has been very fortunate to have been introduced to the Mother Goose Programs. Through several grant opportunities, we have been able to bring these wonderful programs to the families of our community. Mother Goose believes that children learn through exploration and that every day they are presented with tons of learning opportunities in their surrounding environment. It is our job as parents, educators and librarians to encourage this and to provide them with the tools that they need to in order learn from these everyday interactions with their world.

     We may not realize it, but everyday our children are learning how to problem solve, make predictions, use their senses and much more .  To demonstrate this, here is are a few example that are given in the Mother Goose Cares About Math and Science Educator Resource Guide :

•  Watching the fish in the aquarium or the hamster in its cage provides a wonderful opportunity for comparing and contrasting two different living things.
• Cooking up a batch of cookies requires counting, measuring, combining solids and liquids, and using all of the senses.
• Setting the table for lunch is a chance to count and create a pattern with the napkins, utensils and dishes.

     We can help encourage this learning by talking with our children and using appropriate mathematical and science vocabulary. Some of the terms that you may want to use are: predict, observe, count, compare, solution, directional words and shape names. Encourage your children to ask questions and use every opportunity you can to promote their exploration and discovery.

    Books are also a wonderful and powerful way to introduce children to new concepts and vocabulary. Always display your books where they are readily available to be touched and looked at. These are your child’s window to the world. We have wonderful books available to borrow at the library and we hope that you utilize this free service.

     The Mother Goose program, which was developed by the Vermont Center for the book, has a wonderful website that we encourage you to check out. It is www.mothergooseprograms.org . Once there you will have access to free activities and resource information.

On this note, we will leave you with a blurb from the website listed above on the benefits of  reading to your child:

Reading to your child:

• Provides a chance for closeness and cuddling
• Instills a love of books and language
• Stimulates her imagination
• Bridges the gap between adults and children
• Opens up new worlds
• Makes him want to learn to read because it helps him love books