March 2024 Newsletter
Jarrell Community Library and Resource Center
A Message from the Library Director by Susan Gregurek
March has blown in like a whirlwind and Spring has arrived! We've had many celebrations and activities this month. The month began with the quarterly Senior Social where the seniors enjoyed the tastes of nutritional foods created by Jeanneace, games, and karaoke. Spring Break kicked off with a sticker-making class, ESTEAM Labs Free Day of Lego Makerspace activities, and a Junk Journaling class for teens.. The month ended with a Calming Candle-making class, 4 new language classes, and Easter egg hunts.
We are sorry for the confusion regarding the library during the past two weeks. During the lightning storm, there was a surge that blew out all of the lights in the building and we have continued to have internet and technology issues. We have ordered new equipment, but it will take time to get it up and running. This includes our telephone. We are waiting on a delivery and repairs. Please email us at jarrelllibrary@gmail.com if you need us to call you until repairs are made.
I am proud to announce we received a special donation from Humanities Texas for a special event during our Summer Reading Program. The library also received part 2 of the Libraries Transforming Communities grant to continue our improvements in accessibility and programming to meet the needs of our community. As part of the grant, Jarrell Library staff will take an online course on how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host a conversation with residents about accessibility needs in our library and use the grant funds to expand our library's resources for the vision, hearing, mobility, and neurodivergent-challenged community members.
Many have been asking for tools to help dyslexic, autistic, and visually impaired patrons enjoy reading; therefore, we will research and purchase resources to meet the needs of the community. As part of the grant, we will be purchasing equipment to incorporate music into our library to enhance wellness. If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact me at jarrelllibrarydirector@gmail.com.
Since 2014, ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative has re-imagined the role libraries play in supporting communities. Libraries of all types have utilized free dialogue and deliberation training and resources to lead community and campus forums; take part in anti-violence activities; provide a space for residents to come together and discuss challenging topics; and have productive conversations with civic leaders, library trustees and staff.
“Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL).”
The Solar Eclipse is coming on April 8th. The library will only be able to supply weekly class attendees with glasses. Unfortunately, they are expensive and we purchased as many as we could for our community.
We wish you a restful Easter Break with family and friends. The library will be closed on Friday, March 29th, and Saturday, March 30th in observance of the holiday.
Mental Health and Wellness "Self Injury Awareness Month"
What Are the Signs of Self-Injury?
For family and friends, especially those who have loved ones suffering some type of mental illness, it’s important to watch for signs and patterns of self-injury. These might include:
- Arms, legs or other parts of the body that show signs of consistent injuries, such as scabs, bruises, burns and cuts
- Overdressing in particularly warm weather, wearing, for example, coats, long sleeve shirts or pants
- Repeatedly making excuses for why or how they got injured
- Avoidance, isolation and withdrawal from activities and relationships they previously enjoyed
The overwhelming majority of self-injury cases – some 90 percent – begin in adolescence. While the condition brings temporary relief for a person suffering, it carries a lot of shame and stigma.
Many people who self-harm are labeled attention seekers. This only serves to alienate and isolate them further. In other cases, family or friends might be in denial about the problem and still find themselves hiding sharp objects, such as kitchen knives, from their loved one.
Dr. Marsha Linehan, who was institutionalized at the age of 17 for extreme social withdrawal and severe self-harm, didn’t start sharing her experience until she was in her 60s.
Linehan now helps others and recalls for the New York Times that painful period in her life. “I felt totally empty, like the Tin Man; I had no way to communicate what was going on or understand it.”
Don’t Judge – Stay Supportive
When helping a person through the trauma of self-injury, listen, don’t judge or act disgusted. Stay supportive and proactive, drive them to a counselor’s appointment or visit them in treatment when appropriate. Take the opportunity to educate yourself about the condition and the underlying causes that often lead to it.
Self-injury Awareness Month is a chance to set aside stigma, understand the problem and be open about mental health and recovery. Far too many people suffer needlessly because they’re afraid of being judged.
Teenagers are especially vulnerable and often believe they’re the only ones in the world coping with these issues. But with treatment and support, self-injury can move from the present to the past.
credits: https://www.inspiremalibu.com/blog/mental-health/march-self-injury-awareness-month/
The Joys of Storytime
Join us for stories, songs, rhymes and fun! When we're done stay and play and make new friends.
We love seeing the kiddos become more social and comfortable during Storytime.
We have three Storytimes that meet throughout the week from 10:30-11:30 am.
Tuesdays: Pre-K Storytime (Ages 3-5) With Ms. Kristy or Mother Goose working on skills needed to prepare the kids for Kindergarten.
Thursdays: Books and Babies Storytime (Ages 0-2) with Ms. Shay focusing on movement, play and socializing.
Fridays: Bilingual Storytime(All Ages) with Ms. Tanya focusing on introducing or inhancing the Spanish language.
Homeschool Meetup
The goal of the homeschool group is to expand home learning, as well as, working on socializing and teamwork.
Due to scheduling conflict we did not have a homeschool meetup for March. The next homeschool meetup will be April 10th from 3-4pm at the Library and April 29th from 4-5pm at the Sonterra Park.
