Adams County Library System 
By Jess Shelleman People are always asking me what I’ve read recently and what I’d recommend, mostly at work, but also sometimes in my “real life.” It’s always a difficult question to answer, because what I’ve been reading recently may not be what I would recommend to the other person. I read a lot of
Remember 2022, the golden era of the internet? Back then, a reel popped up on my Instagram feed. Security footage captured a man sitting on a Target-ball in front of a store—one of those large red concrete balls spaced in front of Target’s glass entryway. They make smash-and-grab rammings nearly impossible. In the footage, an
Written by Abbie James, Gettysburg Library Children’s Assistant Scavenger hunts. Digging for pirate gold. Some fun childhood memories may have surfaced from reading those words. It turns out that hunting for treasure isn’t only exciting for kids—and I get to do it every time a patron comes into the Children’s Department and requests a book.
By Brandt Ensor, Assistant Executive Director, Adams County Library System In our budget year 2022, the Adams County Library System is scheduled to spend $165,711 on new materials of all types for the six branches of the Adams County Library System. This number also includes e-books and e-audiobooks for our Cloud Library electronic platform. I
by Jess Shelleman, Branch Manager, Littlestown Library If you’ve been to Littlestown Library, a branch of the Adams County Library System, you’ve most likely met me (Jess – Miss Jess to the kiddos). You’ve also definitely met Kat. Being one of the smaller branches of ACLS, our branch library is run with only two employees:
by Jessica Laganosky, Branch Director, Trone Memorial Library Get ready to join the celebration with the Adams County Library System in October as each Adams County Library hosts programs and discussions featuring this year’s Adams County Reads One Book selection, “Leave Only Footprints” by Conor Knighton! If you have not had an opportunity to read
By Jeff Cann, ACLS Finance Director As the Adams County Library System’s Finance Director, I frequently hear about a common misconception: “What do you even do? Aren’t the library’s finances managed by the County Controller’s office?” Well, no. Library workers aren’t Adams County employees. We’re a nonprofit, just like United Way or the Red Cross.
By Sherrie DeMartino, Branch Manager of the Carroll Valley Library Being one of the old-timers with the library system, I have seen a lot of changes over the course of my library career. Believe it or not, when I first started in 1995, the library was not even computerized. Library cards were made of paper
Some of my earliest memories center around books and horses. I was obsessed with horses from kindergarten. A lovely brown horse lived in a big pasture about a half mile down the lane behind our house. I used to walk there, pick grass from outside the pasture fence, and call Folly to come. While she was
By Robyn Woods, Youth Services Coordinator With days getting cooler and summer coming to a close there is still fun to be had at the library. Being a children’s librarian means that my summer was jam-packed with planning and putting out programs to keep kids engaged. As educational fun is a year-round activity, I am
By Jessica Laganosky, Branch Director, Jean Barnett Trone Memorial Library of East Berlin As I write this, the beginning of September is three weeks away. This means great anticipation for the programs and events taking place this fall at each library location. The 3-month fall event calendar is in the final preparation stages, so soon
By Sara Edmiston, Public Services Director There are many benefits for those who decide to volunteer for an organization in their community. Yes, it allows them to give back and forge a connection to the community in which they live, but the act of volunteering can also be beneficial on a more personal level. It
By Molly Griffith Most people I’ve met seem to think that libraries are calm and peaceful places, full of hushed whispers and gently turning pages. That’s the comment I get most when people learn I work at the Jean Barnett Trone Memorial Library of East Berlin, but from my experience, that image is very rarely
by Ryan Huffman, Library Computer Systems Director Technology can be unpredictable–not only in the way it works (or doesn’t) but in where it is headed. Fortunately for me, the library system is focused on providing basic technology needs to patrons before investing in the latest and greatest gadgets, so we don’t necessarily need to be
By Mary Lou Berg, Friends of the New Oxford Library President The Friends of the New Oxford Area Library (NOAL) have been very busy this past year. Our purpose is to provide help and support for the NOAL in any way possible. We provided a helping hand, financial support, as well as beautification of the library and
By Bryn Jarusewski Have you ever visited the New Oxford Library? If not, please stop by to visit our tiny but mighty branch of the Adams County Library System. Since New Oxford is much smaller than many of the other satellite branches, do you ever wonder how we receive, process, and distribute our materials? Our
By Jeff Cann, ACLS Finance Director When I moved to Gettysburg in 2005, the Gettysburg branch of the Adams County Library System was an unexpected treat. My neighborhood library branch in my prior city was a dismal place, dark, cramped and understaffed. Like most of my neighbors, I used the airy Barnes & Noble located
By Annette DeFuso, Technical Services Director Have you ever wondered why some of the Adams County Library materials are available in only some branches, and how the library determines which materials go where? If you have, I’m here to provide the answer. Most of the books and other materials purchased for the library system are
Erica Duffy The FunFest torch has been passed on to me this year and I’m thrilled to say the event is a go for June 10th from 4-7 pm at the Gettysburg Area Rec park. What is FunFest?? It is Adams County Library’s free event that celebrates the kick-off into SummerQuest. ACLS encourages children and families
By Robyn Woods It’s time for a Summer of fun at the library! Come along and dive deep into the fun. This year’s theme is “Oceans of Possibilities”. Grab your scuba gear as we dive into an ocean of educational fun. All six library branches have fun and educational programs for all ages to keep
by Brandt A. Ensor, Assistant Executive Director, Adams County Library System One of the questions I receive often is what does the Gettysburg Library do for the other branches of the Adams County Library System? Why is this one library building in the county seat so important to people living in Gardners, Abbottstown, or McKnightstown?
My name is Sara Edmiston and I am the Public Services Director at the Gettysburg Library. I’ve been with the library system for roughly seventeen years, and in that time, I’ve served in multiple positions throughout the library, and am happy to be back in a position where I am interacting with the public on
My name is Jess Shelleman (Miss Jess to the kids) and I’m the Branch Manager at Littlestown Library. I’ve been in this position for over three years, and I truly love what I do. Where else can you run a baby story time in the morning, a STEM program for kids in the afternoon, and
My name is Ryan Huffman, the Computer Systems Director at the Adams County Library System. While many of us can probably hazard a guess as to what that entails in a general sense, most of us have become so familiar with the devices we use every day, we don’t ever really stop to think about
By Sherrie DeMartino, Branch Manager of the Carroll Valley Library In the late 1990’s and the early 2000’s, the Adams County Library System was looking for a suitable location for a branch that would service the south-western section of Adams County. Their search finally paid off and a library branch was opened in the town
Robyn Woods, Youth Services Librarian Readers of all ages it is my pleasure to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about having one of the greatest jobs in the county. My name is Robyn Woods and I am the Youth Services Librarian at the Adams County Library System. My smallest friends know me as “Miss.
By Barbara Buckley, Branch Manager of the Harbaugh-Thomas Library The Harbaugh-Thomas Library in Biglerville has been serving Adams County since 2007. It is a lovely place to work. Bountiful windows let in the sunlight and provide a front row seat to the ever-changing panorama of weather. In my 8 years as the Branch Manager I’ve
By Laura Goss, Adams County Library System Executive Director April 3 – 6 is National Library Week, and the Adams County Library System (ACLS) invites and encourages all community members to connect with your library! Visit your library in person or online to explore and access services and programs. The ACLS has six branches located
By Marcia Howe, Treasurer, Friends of Trone Memorial Library in East Berlin There are many ways to get lost in the world these days. One of the best ways, though, is in a good book. Libraries offer thousands of ways to lose yourself in stories that go well beyond their walls. You can be transported to
Hello, from the Adams County Library System! My name is Erica Duffy and my role in this organization is Development Director. Officially, I’ve been hired to raise funds through donations, sponsors and grants for the 6 library branches in Adams County. These funds are used for short-term and long-term needs to support Adams County Library
By Sherry Feeser, Youth Services Coordinator, Adams County Library System. The libraries of the Adams County Library System (ACLS) offer many opportunities for parents and caregivers to engage their children and teens in library activities. For the youngest children, a goal is to read, sing, talk, write, and play every day. Many libraries offer baby
By Bryn Jarusewski, Branch Manager, New Oxford Area Library In 1992, the New Oxford Area Library branch opened its doors to the public; since then, it has been full of never ending stories! The library has connected patrons to materials, books, movies, and community, information, and homework help. We have also worked to assist older
By Sara Edmiston, ACLS Public Services Director With COVID-19, we have seen a rise in the number of people coming into the Gettysburg Library to use our library computers to apply for and search for job opportunities. For those who may be looking for new career opportunities, the library system also subscribes to a service
My name is Jessica Laganosky, and I am the branch director at the Jean Barnett Trone Memorial Library of East Berlin. The Trone Memorial Library has served the East Berlin community for over forty-five years. In 2016, the library building expanded in size to provide more community space for browsing of library materials; space for
by Annette DeFuso, Technical Services Director I’ve been managing Technical Services for the last fourteen years. It’s a centralized department located in the Gettysburg branch that provides acquisitions, cataloging, and processing of new items for all six of our branches. When most people think of librarians, they usually only think of the people they see–