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What an exciting month it has been at the library. Maybe you’ve visited our sensory lab and enjoyed fiber optic lights, weighted medicine balls, bubble tubes or the glow of projected shapes and images dancing on the walls.

We have had a great time hosting groups to explore our area, including a partnership with the Pfeiffer Occupational Therapy students and All-Star Learning Center kids, which addressed learning goals for the pediatric unit of study.

Groups have visited us with spans of all ages and neurodiversity, and we’ve had lots of positive feedback from our community and library family. We’ve even incorporated some sensory items into our weekly Story Time which allowed little listeners to relax and unwind with weighted lap puppies and explore lights and sounds when the stories ended.

Speaking of stories, are you caught up on your latest Colleen Hoover binge? Our special event, CoHo & Coffee, is coming up this month on Oct. 15 at Second Street Sundries, and we can’t read fast enough. Pop in from 10-11 a.m. to grab a coffee, pastry or whatever caffeinated treat your TBR (To Be Read) list desires, and tell us what you thought of that crazy twist or surprise ending.

If you really want to get in the CoHo spirit, place an order with Make It Personal Embroidery and Custom Apparel for the design she’s making just for this event. The stack of Colleen’s most popular titles sits atop a fun font that reads “It’s a CoHo Thing!” Shirts will be available for order or purchase at the event.

Be sure to join us Oct. 5-8 for our fall book sale, where you can get amazing deals on great books and materials which give back to your local library.

Become a Friend of the Stanly County Public Library at the door and gain access to our members-only preview night on Oct. 5 from 4-7 p.m. for first dibs on the best reads. General public admission is on Oct. 6 and 7 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and then on Oct. 8 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., where all items will be $1 per bag.

Our Friends of the Library give back through grant funding and sponsoring events throughout the year which provide patron services and summer reading programming.

With exciting new programs come exciting future changes, including my stepping into the role of library director later this month. I’m in my eighth year of library service with Stanly County, and I’m humbled for the opportunity to serve in this role which has been my career goal from the start.

I’ve made so many incredible community and patron connections by serving as the children and youth services librarian, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds with the entire library system by serving as director. Be on the lookout for great things. Love and literacy!

Currently Reading: “Hopeless” by Colleen Hoover.

Children’s Book Highlight: “Little Houses” by Kevin Henkes.

Sara Hahn is the new director of Stanly County Public Library.