Schools & Education

by Cassie Romero You may have heard the phrase “third space” used regarding libraries. The idea was first introduced by Ray Oldenburg, a sociologist who wrote the book The Great Good Place in 1989. The idea of a third space is to be a location where people of all ages can interact or spend time

bt Ryan Huffman I have a confession to make: I am an environmentalist. I don’t know when the last time I actually hugged a tree was because I find hugs to be less appealing when whatever I’m hugging remains rigid and refuses to return the embrace. With people, that’s usually a sign that the hug

by Jess Shelleman Having worked in libraries for over 16 years, it should come as no surprise that one of my go-to gifts for children, or Moms-to-be at baby showers, is books. I can only speak for myself, but I find so much joy in gifting a book to a child and hoping they’ll enjoy

by Annette DeFuso Several of our patrons have been sharing their “library stories” on our website about why they love libraries and what libraries mean to them, so I thought I would share my story, too. One of my earliest memories from elementary school is of visiting the school’s library and asking the librarian to

I can still remember the feeling of being a little girl walking into the public library in Frederick, Maryland, during the summer. The building felt enormous to me, with rows upon rows of shelves that stretched so far beyond my line of sight. I remember the scent of the library too, which was not musty,

Working at the library has changed the way I think about libraries as community pillar institutions. I never thought libraries were useless or unnecessary, but I often failed to consider the idea that they could be useful to me. Being at a library five days a week and aiding in the library’s mission has certainly

Students at Vida Charter School recently completed a bicycle safety and health unit, culminating in the annual bicycle tour around town. Health and Physical Education teacher Kirk Mummert coordinates a bike ride every May for 2nd graders. The biking field trip is the capstone of the bicycle unit that Mr. Mummert teaches to 2nd graders

This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter of local stories that dig deep, events, and more from north-central PA, at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown. By Wyatt Massey of Spotlight PA State College

On April 16, in recognition of its long-standing efforts to enhance digital access and internet services for area residents, the Adams County Library System received the President’s Community Service Award from the Broadband Communications Association of Pennsylvania (BCAP) at its annual Broadband Summit in Gettysburg. “Public libraries play a significant role in providing digital access

At the request of Nancy Lilley, I agreed to be a “book” for this year’s Adams County Library “Living Library” program, and I want to recommend the experience. Thinking through what life lessons and experiences are best worth sharing in my twenty minutes has been uplifting for me. And whichever “book” you might be interested

by Jess Shelleman I’ve worked in libraries for about 16 years, and like many who work in this field, I was first attracted to the profession because of my voracious love of reading, even though you don’t actually get to read too much on the job. I love my job, and I love that I

by Miranda Wisor Last week, I read a delightful news article about a high school in Australia that was surprised to learn that a boulder that had sat next to their building for 20 years was a treasure trove of dinosaur footprints. It made the dino-loving child inside me giddy. After all these years, I

Adams County Library System has been selected as one of 300 libraries to participate in round three of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an American Library Association (ALA) initiative that provides community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities. The competitive award

by Robyn Woods “Mama, play?”  My toddler can now verbally ask for me to play with him.  It warms my heart in every way possible. I do my best work when it’s animals. I can muster up a decent peacock squawk, and my back is still strong enough when he wants to play horse. Where

by Catherine Vasko Launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA), Read Across America is the largest celebration of reading in the country. The initiative focuses on motivating youth to not just read annually but of the importance, value, and fun of it. You may see countless events, partnerships, and reading resources soon being

The annual National Safe Tractor and Machinery program is suggested for youth planning to be employed to drive tractors or operate farm machinery. To successfully complete the course, youth are required to be 14 years of age by April 15, 2025, attend 24 hours of training, demonstrate the ability to safely drive a tractor, and

by Robert Brown Finding a good book is always an ongoing process and when you find a book that really resonates with you it is an amazing experience.  When that happens, so often you want to discuss and share your ideas about the book with someone else.  At the Adams County Library System, we make

by Erica Duffy As we welcome the month of March, we celebrate National Read Aloud Month—a time to embrace the joy of storytelling and the power of shared reading experiences. At the Adams County Library System, we see every day how reading aloud strengthens connections, sparks curiosity, and fosters a love of learning for all

by Sherrie DeMartino February 14th is Valentine’s Day (Don’t forget! It’ll be here before you know it!)  February 14th is also: Library Lover’s Day – a day started by lovers of Australia’s libraries that has spread across the world.   Read to Your Child Day – introducing your child to books from an early age

Gettysburg Area School District (GASD) has named James Bivens as the new safety and security director. The GASD Board of School Directors approved Bivens in the role at its school board meeting in December. Bivens previously joined the district as a school police officer in November 2022. “I am looking forward to continuing to maintain

by Annette DeFuso Part of my daily work in the Technical Services department at the library is making sure that all of our books and other materials can be found by searching our online catalog. My department enters on-order records for new items so our patrons can see what will soon be hitting the shelves

by Sara Edmiston Have you ever wanted to try out a new hobby but didn’t want to make the monetary investment in case you didn’t enjoy it?  How about starting a garden – how far apart should you plant various seeds?  Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to play the ukulele or the drums.  With

Gettysburg, PA — This January, Vida Charter School proudly celebrates its 15th anniversary, marking a decade and a half of empowering students through bilingual education and a commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and holistic development. Since opening its doors in January 2010 with just 11 students and a small team of staff, Vida has grown into

by Sharon Lentzer The year 2024 was a very busy time for the Friends of the Littlestown Library. Now that the Christmas rush is over and we can relax, January is the month we had our belated Christmas party to thank all our members, spouses and friends who have helped to make our Friends group

by Ryan Huffman Though many of the season’s traditional gift givers in your life may have come and gone with Christmas on the 25th, Kwanzaa wrapping up on the 1st, and Hanukkah closing out the holidays on the 2nd, we here at the library don’t like to limit our giving to just a few select

by Brandt A. Ensor For the fourth year in a row, we take a look back at what was read most by each Adams County Library Branch in 2024. This year, in an added twist, we will also add the most circulated Young Adult items at each branch. This list added together equals hundreds of

by Jeff Cann Losman and I are identical. I often felt like I was reading about myself. So much so that by page seventy-five, I was so agitated I almost stopped reading altogether. This is an excerpt from an email I sent to Kyle Semmel the other day. He’s the author of the book I

by Sara Edmiston Looking for something to do as the days and nights grow colder this winter?  Check out the Adams County library’s Winter Reading Challenge, open to all ages throughout the winter months. The Winter Reading Challenge encourages readers of all ages to record how much they read for a chance to win prizes. 

by Theresa Buchheit Whenever I mention that I work as a librarian to someone, they almost always say something to the effect of “Oh, that sounds so wonderful to be working with books all day,” while they gaze off into the distance, imagining their lives as a librarian. While yes, my job is wonderful, and yes, I’m

by Natasha Swiger Recent studies by the American Library Association (ALA) have shown that there is a growing rate of library use from Millenial and Gen Z populations that continues to increase each year. This isn’t surprising as libraries have become a very impactful community hub, offering free materials, programs, and events as well as

by Tiffany Ritter The Teen Center at the Harbaugh-Thomas Library is a great place for those in 7th-12th grade to relax after school, before sports practice, or during summer afternoons. Currently, the Teen Center is open Tuesday-Friday from 2:45-6:00 PM.  The walls are decorated with artwork and posters made by 7th-12th graders who have visited

by Jeff Cann Internet, cable television, Spotify, Netflix, Disney, Hulu, Apple TV, Peacock, Prime. So many things to spend your money on these days. As a young adult in 1984 and just starting my independent life, none of these services existed. Subscriptions have become an accepted part of our monthly expenses, but they sure do

An informal gathering of the Gettysburg College swim team that included a racial slur being cut into the body of a student identified as a Person of Color has put the college in the national news. Over the past week, the story, orginally reported by the college newspaper The Gettysburgian on Wednesday Sep. 18, has been

by Brandt Ensor As you know by now, through the many posts, articles, and announcements on the library website and this email blast, our reading family here in Adams County is currently reading The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd, the title selected as our Adams County Reads One Book 2024. While fall doesn’t officially start until

by Sara Edmiston Days are getting shorter, and it will soon be October, otherwise known as Adams County Reads One Book month here at the library system.  If you have not yet had an opportunity to read “The Cartographers” by Peng Shepherd, I highly encourage you to stop by your local Adams County Library location

by Sherrie DeMartino Did you ever wonder how the library purchases the books that are in our collection?  What do you do if there’s a book that you would like to read and you don’t see it in our catalog?  All of the library’s books (children’s, young adult, adult regular print, and adult large print)

by Barbara Buckley Despite the warm weather, fall is in the air. Families are school shopping and getting ready for their new routines. Even though I’m an adult with grown children, I feel like when school starts, fall has begun. And when fall begins, an atmosphere of newness permeates the air. To me, it is

Gettysburg College received a 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant to establish a community learning center on campus that provides high quality, bilingual learning opportunities after school and in the summer for underserved students and their families in Adams County, Pennsylvania. This $1.2 million competitive grant, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education,

by Sara Edmiston When you visit one of our locations, you will see the shelves of new materials that have been added to the library system’s collections. New fiction is generally shelved on our “New” shelves for six months before being moved to the general collection. This ensures that you have ample time to find

by Ryan Huffman Sometimes, it feels like technology moves faster than the industry, and end users can reasonably adopt it. An example of this currently on my mind, expected to take a step forward in 2024, is Wi-Fi technology. Because it may get mixed up in cellular network technology due to similar numerical identification and

Saturday, August 3, 2024 marked the first ever Home School Festival, held at the National AppleMuseum in Biglerville. The event included speakers and activities. “Attendance was pretty good although the rainstorm caused no one to come for about half an hour and then a family came at the last minute as folks were cleaning up,”

by Catherine Vasko When talking about what I do career-wise, I often refer to myself as a “baby librarian.” After all, with this being my first year working for the Adams County Library System (ACLS), it only feels right! For the ACLS patrons that are regulars at East Berlin, you may know me best as

by Annette DeFuso When most people think of librarians, they usually think of the people they see checking out books, answering questions at a desk, or presenting a program. Many don’t realize that there’s also a team of staff and volunteers working behind the scenes, ensuring that our new books can be discovered through our online

As we reach the midpoint of the year, the Adams County Library is delighted to share some exciting updates and achievements with our community. It has been a fantastic year so far, marked by new donors, increased visitors, and enthusiastic participation in our programs. One of the highlights of the year was the kick-off to

The YWCA Gettysburg & Adams County, located at 909 Fairfield Rd. in Gettysburg is offering camp and training programs for children this summer. The following programs are offered: STEMSpire Grades 3-6; June 17-21 2024 / 8:30 am – 3:30 pm STEMspire: Exploring the Past, Building the Future will be held from June 17 -21 / 8:30 a.m.

I was recently asked how long we have had the electronic audiobooks in CloudLibrary for, as someone was discovering them for the first time. I didn’t like that I had to tell them we have had eaudios for well more than a decade now, and since 2018 they have been in with the ebooks in

The annual Collaborating For Youth (CFY) Youth Coalition Leadership Camp will take place during August at Camp Thompson in Gardners, PA. This opportunity is open to 25 selected youth at no cost. Applicants should be Adams County residents rising into 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades who are interested in working with the CFY Youth