Oh my goodness! 2023 went by too fast. The Library had record attendance and checkouts in 2023! Thanks to all of you for that!

2024 promises to be another busy year. We will continue to have Cardinal Kids Story Time at the Library at 10:30 a.m. every Friday.

We will soon participate in Take Your Child To The Library on Saturday, February 3rd from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Story Time will be at 10:30 a.m. It will be our 3rd year of participation in the program.

The Summer Reading Program theme is “Adventure Begins at Your Library”. We are already planning programming and it promises to be so much fun!

I love the beginning of a new year. It feels somewhat like a clean slate, a fresh start. Although I don’t do resolutions, I do self-talk, encouraging myself to be more kind and loving, to slow down, to breathe deeper.

I read this recently:

“Reading is the best way to relax, and even six minutes can be enough to reduce stress levels by more than two-thirds, according to research carried out at Sussex University. Reading helps you destress faster than listening to music, taking a walk, or having a cup of tea/coffee, according to the study. When researchers measured heart rate and muscle tension, people relaxed 6 minutes into reading.” from Whispers of Rest

The same article stated, “The Mayo Clinic also found that reading a book (print, not electronic) for twenty minutes as a bedtime ritual helps signal your body to sleep.” Whispers of Rest

Certainly we can all do with some destressing in the new year! So as 2024 dawns, I wish you peace in your souls and a book in your hands!

Happy New Year!