Catfish Chronicle, Issue 9, Summer 2025
From the Desk of: Falls of Schuylkill Librarian, Jenn Estepp
From the reference desk…
Happy Summer Reading season, friends! I can hardly believe that I’m coming up on one year as your branch manager. We are crossing our fingers and hoping that these warmer months don’t mean cooling issues and library closures are on the horizon. While some issues with our HVAC remain, the Free Library recently delivered dehumidifiers to us and the Lovett Library, in the hopes that we can remain open –including on Saturdays. Wish us luck!
Despite a bit of uncertainty, we are still planning to host some limited programming over the summer. And we are excited about Summer Reading – both the slate of new books we can’t wait to get our hands on as well as Summer of Wonder, the Free Library’s seasonal celebration of reading and learning that takes place for all ages. Children who participate will be given take-home activity maps, where they can keep track of reading and library activities with Philly-centric stickers, come to programs, and earn prizes. Teens and Adults can complete raffle entries to win fun giveaways. We’re still finalizing all of the details – let me know what raffle prizes you would love to see! – so make sure to check in closer to June 9, when the program officially launches. Here at Falls, we’ll be hosting a kickoff event on Thursday, June 12 in the afternoon, with face painting and other fun activities, so do drop by to say hello and grab a tracker or some raffle entries, along with some swell giveaways.
Turning the spotlight on our Children’s department and Ms. Grace, our fantastic Children’s Librarian, I wanted to make sure that everyone knew about our new collection of Play Backpacks. Themed around topics like Numbers and Movement, Let’s Explore, and On the Farm (among many others), each backpack comes with two books, related toys and/or games, along with an activity card in a clear backpack. These are turning out to be super popular and are a really neat item for families, and you can find them near the Calumet Street entrance. We’re also really excited to once again participate in GSK Science in the Summer, a long-running program that engages children in grades 2-6 in hands-on learning activities with the goal of increasing their enthusiasm for and confidence about science, as well as an interest in STEM careers. This year’s theme is Be a Health Scientist! and will feature programs centered on such vocations as Cardiologist, Dietitian, Athletic Trainer, Epidemiologist, and Orthopedic Doctor. It’s such a fun program and I can’t wait to see what fun activities the Franklin Institute has designed for this year’s crop of student scientists! Hope to see you in the library soon!