Thursday, March 28, 2024

Check out our Summer Library Programs!

Bored at home? This summer, dive into everything that the Southlake Public Library has to offer with its programming for kids of all ages!

This year’s summer reading program began on May 26, but it’s not too late to sign up! The free and simple registration is still open for the “All Together Now” program which runs through July 21, 2023. This experience is full of adventures, weekly challenges, prizes, reading, and more.

Prizes this year are better than ever, ranging from toys to technology to encourage all to flip those pages! To see the prize displays, visit the library on the first floor of Town Hall.

However, if you’re looking to get out of the house, consider viewing the events tab on the Southlake Public Library Facebook page. Here, you can find a list of all upcoming events including magic shows, creature features, cultural performances, chalk art, and so much more.

Kids of all ages, and adults young at heart too, can explore the magic of making memories all summer long at the library.

For more information, please contact the Southlake Public Library at 817-748-8243 or visit www.SouthlakePublicLibrary.com.

To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.

Mayor John Huffman visits the Southlake Public Library to Learn About Upcoming Programming

This week on Minute with the Mayor, Mayor John Huffman takes a step inside the wonderful world of reading with Youth Librarian Stacy Wells to learn about new programs and events by the library. 

 

As the New Year continues, events and classes held by the library are constantly being added to the queue. Wells says that classes range from child-focused classes to adult classes to get the whole family involved.

 

“I’m super excited that we just had a nutrition program, and we provided an opportunity for our community to come together and ask an expert questions,” said Wells. The Immune Boosters and Busters class was held on Wednesday, January 11, and provided a forum for adults to ask about the correlation between health and nutrition. A live demonstration and tasting occurred for participants.

 

Wells also mentioned the Accessible Art for Kids program, a sensory-friendly art program for neurodivergent children and their caregivers. Among the variety of programming, there are staples in the library, like the Summer Reading Program. Mayor Huffman noticed that more Southlake residents and families are taking advantage of our amazing library and their myriad of resources.

 

A complete list of upcoming library events can be found on the Southlake Public Library Facebook page. To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below. 

Southlake Public Library Hosts Holiday-Themed Workshops

Mark your calendars and get WRAPPED up with all the merry activities at the Southlake Public Library. Whether it’s Storytime with Mrs. Claus or a puppet show with Frosty and Friends, there is something for the whole family to enjoy.

Check out our Holiday Schedule:

  • Storytime Meet and Greet with Mrs. Claus – Monday, December 19 | 9 – 10 a.m. | Town Hall Third Floor
  • Marty Westerman Magician – Tuesday, December 20 | 2 p.m. | Town Hall Third Floor
  • Cool, Cold-blooded Critters with Wildlife on the Move – Wednesday, December 21 | 2 p.m. | Town Hall Third Floor
  • Frosty and Friends Puppet Show – Thursday, December 22| 11 a.m. | Town Hall Third Floor
  • Window to the Wild Bird Show – Tuesday, December 27 | 2 p.m. | Town Hall Third Floor
  • Holiday Bingo with Ms. Karen and Ms. Stacy – Wednesday, December 28 | 2 p.m. | Town Hall Third Floor
  • Arthouse Art Project – Thursday, December 29 | 11 a.m. | Town Hall Third Floor

Library Task Force – What’s Next?

Following the recent Library Task Force Town Hall meetings, the team will take its next steps regarding a possible new location for the Southlake Public Library.

The Task Force announced three site options at both meetings: Bicentennial Park, Carillon Parc, and Parkwood Drive (near Southlake Boulevard and Byron Nelson). They also shared ideas about facility priorities, complimentary amenities, and funding sources.

You can watch recordings of the Town Hall meetings at https://www.cityofsouthlake.com/332/On-Demand-Video.

“We heard some wonderful and thoughtful ideas and comments from residents,” said Southlake Councilmember and Library Task Force co-chair Ronell Smith. “Now, we will work with the Library Board and then the City Council to see where we can go next.”

Happening this week, the Library Board will meet in the City Council Chamber on Wednesday, May 25, at 6:30 p.m. for their regularly scheduled meeting. During the meeting, the board will hear from the Task Force about their work and recommendations. Following the Library Board meeting, the next step for the Task Force is to present their recommendation at the June 7 City Council meeting.

Achievement of Library Excellence Awarded to Southlake Public Library

The Southlake Public Library has received the 2021 Achievement of Library Excellence Award from the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association (TMLDA.)

Southlake Public Library demonstrated its commitment to excellence through its programs and services including expanded digital services through cloudLibrary, Flipster, and Brainfuse. The library also demonstrated support for underserved populations by becoming a Sensory Inclusive library, providing AARP Tax-Aide services, providing delivery services to Watermere and the Senior Center, and offering curbside pickup services during the pandemic. Other notable achievements include cultural programming, literacy support for all ages, summer reading programs, and more.

“It’s just incredible,” said Deputy Director of the Library Cynthia Pfledderer. “The Southlake Public Library ensures the community is provided consistent and innovative services to meet the changing needs of its residents, and we are so proud to be one of only 59 libraries awarded in 2021.”

TMLDA is an affiliate of the Texas Municipal League. Each year, TMLDA presents awards to public libraries that have done comprehensive and outstanding work in their communities.

To receive the Achievement of Library Excellence Award, a library must exhibit excellence in the services to underserved and special populations, innovative marketing for programs and services, cultural, topical, and educational programming, support for literacy, summer reading opportunities, collaboration with community groups, workforce development, digital inclusion, and comprehensive staff training.

 

The Great Promise Dancers for American Indians Set to Perform in Southlake

Join the Southlake Public Library and The Great Promise Dancers for American Indians to celebrate their culture and history on Thursday, November 18 at 6 p.m. at Family Park.

This modern-day powwow is an artistic display of American Indians celebrating their heritage through dancing, live singing, drumming and narration. At the end of the event, the audience can participate. Attendees are asked to bring their own powwow or camp chairs.

The Great Promise Dancers are a renowned group and have performed across the state of Texas since 2004.

Imagine That! A Bright Future at Southlake Public Library.

Take the 2021 Library Survey and tell us what you see for the future of the library.

The Southlake Library opened on September 26, 2001, and since that time it has enjoyed over 2.4 million visitors, offered thousands of programs to over 525,000 participants and circulated over 5.6 million books, movies, audiobooks and more. That’s a savings to Southlake Library cardholders of over $85 million on the cost of those materials. How great is that?!

Now, we’re looking ahead to the future of the Southlake Public Library. How do you want your library to improve? Are there new services you would like to see? What programs are the most important to your family? Are you finding what you need at the library, or would you like to see changes to the collection? It’s time to tell us what you want to see for the future of Southlake Library.

Take the 2021 Library Survey and share your thoughts. The survey will be available online from August 9–30, 2021. We want to hear from you, and your neighbor, and your neighbor’s neighbor. Pass it on!

Take the survey at www.CityofSouthlake.com/2021LibrarySurvey.

“We Are Southlake” Contest Winners Artwork Chosen for New Library Cards

The Southlake Library is proud to introduce two new library card designs for patrons, which showcase the artistic talent of Southlake residents.

Carroll High School Senior Bella Hanson and Southlake resident, John P. Denk Jr., were selected by Mayor Laura Hill and the Mayor’s Alliance for Unity & Culture as two of the winners of the “We are Southlake” Poster Contest last September. The contest was held to kick off celebrations for the City’s 64th birthday and encouraged artists to visually represent what they love about Southlake. “We were thrilled to see the creativity of our incredible community,” stated Mayor Hill at the time.

This spring, when the Library decided to order new library cards, two of the winning submissions were selected for the card designs.

“The Southlake Library is very excited to be able to promote the talent of residents and celebrate their gifts by using the winning artwork designs for the two new library card covers,” stated City Librarian Cynthia Pfledderer. “The artwork chosen recognizes the vibrant culture and community pride of Southlake.”

Bella Hanson is a talented artist and is looking forward to attending Texas A&M next year after graduating in May from Carroll High School.  Hanson is an AP Art Student and cheerleader, and her artwork has been selected previously by the City as a winning submission for another contest.

John P. Denk Jr. has been a Southlake resident for almost seven years and comes this way most recently by way of Chicago, although he grew up just outside of the DFW metroplex.  He is an Art School graduate and has been a commercial and graphic artist.

If you haven’t visited the Southlake Library, or it has been a while, please stop by soon! The Library has exciting upcoming programs for Summer planned, and you can always stay informed of what is going on by following the Southlake Library on social media at Facebook and Instagram.

Artist – Bella Hanson

 

Artist – John P. Denk Jr.

Southlake Public Library Employees Bring Southlake Together Through Online Content

In one of Mr. Rogers famous pieces of advice to his neighbors about scary situations, he says, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’

In mid-March, the City of Southlake closed facilities and asked office employees to work from home to protect residents and employees. Southlake Public Library employees began brainstorming ideas of how they could foster a sense of community and bring a light and positivity into people’s homes.

The dynamic duo of Amy Pearson and Abrianna Burton stepped up with a plan to increase the Library’s online presence with photos, videos and social media. What was once a small part of the Library’s daily tasks became the Library’s direct connection with Southlake readers.

“Overnight we went from librarians to content strategists,” Burton said. “We consulted our entire Library team so that we could breach the digital divide and fill a void with online content for everyone, from niche audiences to children.”

Burton’s background in marketing and communication gave her the skills to implement the Library’s online and social media projects. She became the Library’s film director, video editor and sound technician.

“We could not have implemented our social media initiative without her talent on staff,” City Librarian Cynthia Pfledderer said. “She’s my creative go-to person from signs to videos and she never lets me down with her level of care in design.”

A quick scroll of the Library’s Facebook page ranges in content from book reviews, cooking and art classes, as well as the popular Getty Museum Challenge.

“The pandemic brought the Library together as a team,” Pearson said. “We discovered that we’re philosophers, artists, chefs and creators who set out to help educate, be a voice of reassurance and an escape from what had become a scary time.”

Pearson started as the Library’s administrative secretary in February and barely had a chance to warm her office chair and understand her duties before she found herself telecommuting and helping to redefine Library services in this new social distancing world.

“What stands out most about Amy is her ability to generate great ideas and see them through with very little direction. She sees a situation, quickly identifies opportunities and offers to take on any challenge,” Pfledderer said. “I was amazed how quickly she became a vital part of the team, even in such unusual circumstances.

Both Pearson and Burton said they couldn’t have stepped up to the challenge without the creative freedom and inspiration from their fearless leader.

“Working for the City of Southlake is nothing like you’d expect,” Burton said. “This isn’t a boring government job, it’s a chance to innovate and bring your best every day to this world-class community.”

“We want to continue to grow and to provide creative services to Southlake. We take personal responsibility and are committed to delivering excellence to make an impact within the community we serve,” Pearson said. “We’re going to continue to do more.” To learn more about the Southlake Public Library, visit its website, or follow its Facebook page or Instagram page to keep up with all of the fun activities. For more information, call the Library at 817-748-8243.