Here's what Battle of the Books did to my brain: I meant to write these blogs in strict chronological order of when we made the visits, but not only was the last post out of order, I can't figure out what day we actually went! But there's nothing for it except to keep going, so on to the South Fork!
Derek and I made our first of two full-fork forays on Thursday, July 26. We made some stops on the way out and some on the way back, which helped to break up the long but beautiful ride. Our first stop was the Hampton Library at Bridgehampton, where we were given a tour by library director Kelly Harris.
 |
| this corner in the teen area beckons invitingly, with cheerful sunlight, an inspirational cork board and lotsa duct tape |
 |
| Derek demonstrates the proper way to enjoy an amazing reading nook |
 |
| FRAGGLES!!! |
 |
| loving this global SRC participation poster |
 |
| vines make an inviting addition to the children's room reference desk |
Our next stop was the East Hampton Free Library, which has a fantastic old-world ambiance that's kind of hard to describe (I've tried and deleted several), so you'll just have to visit it yourself to see what I mean! This was my first time seeing the completed teen room in all its glory, so get ready for a YA-heavy photo set!
 |
| a festive call to action greets you in the welcome area |
 |
| looks like the kids got into the legos in the children's area! |
 |
| still has that new car smell! |
 |
| Derek found this craft station, which is for the best - I would have used ALL THE SHELLS |
 |
| "Draw what you Feel" drawing contest with gallery display - LOVE IT! |
 |
| both the giantness of the whiteboard and the ready-to-go attitude of the markers make me happy |
Next stop, Amagansett! This cozy library is nestled right in the heart of the town, a great location! We explored the children's area, which is small but mighty! I'm all about their Summer Reading progress tracking setup. One of the stacks has been transformed into a path with five stops. Whenever you finish a book, you add a sticker to the next stop. Kids who read five books could have their artwork of where they want the path to lead at the end of the aisle! I love this because it creates a physical manifestation of their progress over the summer, and gives the kids a chance to show off artistic skills! Check it out in the pics below:
 |
| the path! |
I was silly and forgot to take a close-up picture of the current main destination, so here's a blurry zoom-in. Ten points to whoever can guess what it's a scene of!
 |
| I was distracted by this Dungeons and Dragons fantasy scene. An artist after my own heart! Check out those shop names! |
 |
| More past-featured artwork |
After a quick lunch in Amagansett, we made our next visit to the island's farthest-East library, Montauk! We felt like lucky ducks for arriving at almost the same as Youth Services head Jackie Bitonti, who let us photograph her also small-but-mighty area.
 |
| Jackie's command station |
 |
| a fine array of raffle options on display |
 |
| oddly welcoming for two carnivores |
 |
| Summer Reading Superstars light the wall/sky above some computer stations |
For our final stop of the day, we took a long drive back west to Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton, where there were many delights in store for us, from fantastic decorations to an in-progress program. This was another first visit for me, and it didn't disappoint!
 |
| a fleet of busy readers welcomes you into the children's area |
 |
| THAT MURAL THOUGH!!!! |
 |
| UH BUT WAIT, THERE'S A DRAGON??? And is that... |
 |
| A BOAT!!!! I, a fool, didn't photograph the other side, which is an early literacy playspace (be still my heart) |
There was also an art program going on in the back room with some very soothing classical music that made me want to grab my paintbrush and jump right in! I thought I had more pictures but I guess I was distracted by the boat (what can I say but ahoy); the entire room is gorgeous! Very spacious, with an awesome second level that currently features middlegrade fiction (moving up in the most literal sense!). Next we headed downstairs where we found YA head Casey Feyhn with her afternoon summercamp group set up playing games!
 |
| I see so many games I want to play!! |
 |
| the kids were clearly having a blast - what a great place to spend a hot afternoon |
And that wraps up our South Fork day! Thanks as always to everyone who tolerated our intrusions!
Stay tuned for more!
No comments:
Post a Comment