By Somer Ojodeagua, branch manager
Well, we blinked and now it’s December. November was amazing here at the Patrick County Library. I am sure I say that every month, but it is so true. On November 6th, Abby and I participated in the PCHS Career Fair. It was wonderful seeing all the young people talk about their future plans and some students mentioned they had never heard of library science as a career or even thought of working in the library. It was a great chance to explain not just the job opportunities here but the programs that the library has to offer our community.
Our Silent Book Club had a new member this month and we decided to schedule our December meeting to be one that includes a Book Swap. On November 8, Austin Joyce from Edward Jones came to the library and spoke with attendees about all the ways to prepare for retirement. He discussed taxes, types of insurance, how to invest and ways to ensure that your future is as stable financially as possible. I really appreciate him donating his time and knowledge to those who came to listen.
On November 13, I led a group of five in the Basic Technology part 1 program where we focused on word processing and composing emails. Part 2 will be on Monday December 8, where we will discuss Smartphones.
On November 15, the meeting room was full, with a total of twenty-one individuals who gathered to hear Cheri Henry from Henry’s Fresh Roast and Norma Bozenmayer present on the history of coffee, as well as methods for roasting and preparing this popular beverage. Tastings were given to illustrate the distinctions between light, medium, and dark roasts, and a discussion ensued about which types of food complement each roast. Thank you, Norma and Cheri, for creating such an amazing program!
Part two of the Money-Smart Elder Exploitation was held on November 18, with Shannon Hylton and Lisa Kroplin from First Horizon Bank. We are incredibly thankful to have neighbors of our library who care for the community as much as these ladies do. As we finished the month, our Trivia Night attendance exploded. We had 29 people here for the Harry Potter versus Lord of the Ring event: 24 players and five spectators in all. We enforced our four to a team rule and allowed younger participants than normal to play due to the content of the topics. Our next trivia night will be on Thursday. December 18, at 6 p.m. and the topic is year-round holidays.
As we conclude the month, it would be remiss of me not to express my gratitude towards the staff and patrons of the Patrick County Library and ALL of the Blue Ridge Regional Library System. I cannot thank you all enough for helping me navigate the past six months through this newest chapter of my professional life. Every encouraging word, hug or email has been a blessing to me and I am incredibly grateful.
Thank you all again and I cannot wait to see what December has in store for us. As always, stay safe and happy reading.
