Avalynn Rose Cooper, winner of the Cookie Competition at the Mill Memorial Library, holds her winning cookies. Programs such as this will be funded through the help of the library’s monthly book sales, which will be held on Feb. 3, Mar. 2, Apr. 6, May 4 and June 1.
Submitted photo
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The Mill Memorial Library held its monthly book sale on Saturday, in which all proceeds help fund the library’s programs, including an after school program for students.
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
NANTICOKE — Readership has been on the rise.
At least that’s what Mill Memorial Library’s Event Coordinator Judi Passetti believes. On Saturday, the library held a book sale, and Passetti said crowds began to form before the sale even began.
“We have a lot of repeat offenders that come back for each sale. Most of the time, they come with a list of certain authors and titles that they’re looking for,” she said.
Saturday’s sale included hundreds of titles from plenty of genres — from cookbooks to children’s books to nonfiction and more. According to Passetti, each book sale promises new titles, as donations come in very frequently.
Hardcover books cost $2, softcover books cost $1 and children’s books cost $0.50, and all proceeds benefit the library’s programs, namely the children’s wing.
According to Kay Excell, who serves as programming coordinator for the wing, the library hosts a plethora of after-school activities for school-aged children, oftentimes hosting at least 20 programs per month.
One of the biggest programs is the daily “After-School Drop-In”, in which students can socialize with a community of peers while they partake in educational programs. However, Excell says the purpose of the “After-School Drop-In” is much deeper than that.
“They’re coding with robots, playing games, competing in food competitions, playing with arts and crafts, developing a community garden, but my goal has always been to bring back this place as a third space for the community,” Excell said.
A third space refers to the social sphere that is not the home (first place) or the workplace (second place). By creating such an environment, Excell hopes that students will find a social atmosphere that is both comforting and beneficial.
“In my head, I would rather the kids here than roaming the streets. Here, they’re having fun, we’re doing something together and their mind is working,” she said.
The Mill Memorial Library will continue to host book sales on Feb. 3, Mar. 2, Apr. 6, May 4 and June 1 from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. inside the library.
