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Muhlenberg Library Youth Services Coordinator Delves into Literacy Programming

Story written by Tara Ring

Feb 17, 2022
Focused african american teenage girl wearing headphones writing notes study with laptop and books, serious black female high school teen student listening audio course or music while doing homework

The start of the new year marked the beginning of new expanded programming for Muhlenberg Community Library (MCL.) After obstacles resulting in closures, such as the COVID-19 shutdown and flood damage in 2020, the library has now returned to in-person programs. Until 2022, all library events were presented virtually or in-person with an outdoor setting. With the library returning to limited in-person browsing, one year ago, many patrons have been wondering when programs would return.

Many patrons and members of the community have relished in the return of some of MCL’s staple literacy programs such as Wonderful Wee Ones, a story lap-sit time for babies and toddlers; and Read S’More, an afterschool program for “tweens” featuring chapter books and, of course, indoor s’mores! MCL’s new Youth Services Coordinator, Melissa Carroll (known by story goers as Ms. Melissa,) expanded the library’s regular basic literacy programs to include family-based story times and homeschool students. Ms. Melissa invites the whole family to take part in a bedtime story with a pajama casual dress code! Pajama Story Time occurs every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 6 PM. The new Homeschool Hub engages homeschool students and their parents with social library learning activities every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 1 PM.

Melissa comes to MCL with a rich background as the former Director at East Hounsfield Free Library in East Hounsfield, NY. She has already made her mark on the library with her engaging programs. Melissa has indicated that her standouts about the library have been that, “[staff] is willing to not only go above and beyond for our patrons, but each other, as well! I also love being in such close proximity to the school. With my background in education and now my position as YS Coordinator, it’s extremely exciting to be able to talk and work with the students and provide what THEY would like to see in the library.”

New programming will continue to benefit the library community and its needs, such as basic literacy. Basic Literacy is one of the five literacies recognized by the Pennsylvania Library Association’s (PALA) initiative, PA Forward which seeks literacy progress that will move Pennsylvania forward! According to PALA, “Libraries can push Pennsylvania to achieve one of the highest literacy rates in the country, a better trained and more skilled workforce, and a growing tax base, economy, and population.” Join MCL in moving forward! Visit the library website for the full schedule of programs and special events at https://www.berkslibraries.org/branch/muhlenberg


About MCL–The mission of the Muhlenberg Community Library is to promote lifelong learning opportunities by offering free library services to all who seek to change, improve, enrich and enjoy their lives.

More about the Pennsylvania Library Association’s 21st Century Literacies Initiative– PA Forward® was conceived to give voice to what the library community already knows, and what other states throughout the nation are also recognizing:

With the right support, libraries are ideally positioned to become the community centers of information, technology, and learning that will fuel educational and economic opportunity for all of our citizens.

Libraries have moved far beyond just being book repositories. They’re agile institutions serving real-life needs. Libraries are the key to powering progress and elevating the quality of life in Pennsylvania by fueling the types of knowledge essential to success: Basic LiteracyInformation LiteracyCivic and Social LiteracyHealth Literacy, and Financial Literacy.

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