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Salina Free Library Treats Kids to Free Take-Home Craft Kits Salina Library Free Craft Kits

Salina Free Library wanted to reach out to the community by making them creative

By Tawny Davis

TAWNY DAVIS: GOOD AFTERNOON DAN AND DARRON, IM HERE AT THE SALINA FREE LIBRARY WHERE THEY WERE CLOSED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THEIR COMMUNITY, THEY DECIDED TO KEEP KIDS ENGAGED IN THEIR CREATIVITY FROM HOME.

DAVIS: TODAY, THE SALINA LIBRARY IS GIVING OUT CRAFT KITS TO FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN. THIS PROGRAM STARTED AFTER THEY HAD TO CLOSE DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. MONICA NORTON IS THE YOUTH SEVICES LIBRARIAN WHO STARTED THE PROGRAM WITH SUPPLIES SHE BOUGHT HERSELF.

MONICA NORTON: FAIRLY INEXPENSIVE KITS WHERE EITHER I CAN SUPPLY THE MATERIALS OR AT THE VERY LEAST, THE MATERIALS NEEDED THAT WOULD BE EASY TO OBTAIN.

DAVIS: IN THAT FIRST MONTH, THEY GAVE OUT 20 KITS WHICH MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT NORTON SAYS THATS ACTUALLY A POSITIVE NUMBER.

NORTON: IT WAS REALLY BIG FOR US BECAUSE WE’RE LIKE WELL, THAT PROBABLY 15-20 FAMILIES THAT WE’VE REACHED THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE REACHED BEFORE.

DAVIS: WITH MORE AND MORE KITS GOING OUT TO FAMILIES, NORTON IS HAPPY TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM AND REFLECTS ON WHAT THE LIBRARY HAS DONE FOR FAMILIES.

NORTON: THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MANY WAYS OUR LIBRARY HAVE TRIED TO MEET OUR COMMUNITY AND HELP OUT BECAUSE THAT’S REALLY WHAT WE’RE ABOUT.

DAVIS: TAWNY DAVIS NCC NEWS.

DAVIS: NOW AS I SAID BEFORE THE LIBRARY DOES HAVE SEVERAL OTHER PROGRAMS GOING ON THE REST OF TODAY AND THIS WEEK. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM JUST HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE AT NCCNEWSONLINE.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION. FOR NCC NEWS IM TAWNY DAVIS.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Last year when the pandemic hit the nation, many public libraries had to close. One of those included the Salina Free Library in the town of Salina. The library had no way to keep in contact with their community and felt like they needed to do something to stay connected to them.

That is when youth services librarian Monica Norton came up with the idea to create craft kits for kids. The idea was to make a few kits for kids and families to pick up curbside and take them home. Norton said that she wanted to keep kids engaged in reading as well as spark some creativity for them,

“I believe in learning through working with your hands,” said Norton. “So I felt like this was the perfect combination, kids get to be creative and learn about books because they are making something themselves, even if it is not perfect.”

In that first month, they gave out about 20 kits total. That may seem like a low number, but according to Norton, it made a big impact,

“Twenty kits may not seem like a lot but it was really big for us because we’re like well, that probably 15-20 families that we’ve reached that we may not have reached before,” Norton said.

With the program continuing through the summer and more kits going out to families, the library is just happy they were able to get kids to be creative during a time where it seemed impossible.

 

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