8 Photos
Susann's mailbox where kids can write letters. HOPE HAMILTON
Susann's mailbox where kids can write letters. HOPE HAMILTON
Susann the Dragon in her nook above the stairs. HOPE HAMILTON
Susann the Dragon in her nook above the stairs. HOPE HAMILTON
Susann the Dragon in her nook above the stairs. HOPE HAMILTON
Susann's personal stationary on which she writes. HOPE HAMILTON
Susann's very own wax seal with which she seals all her letters. HOPE HAMILTON
A welcoming sign for kids to write letters to Susann the Dragon. HOPE HAMILTON
In the fall of last year, a very special magical guest flew all the way to the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor. Susann the Dragon, named after late youth services librarian Susann Farrell, made a cozy corner in the spiral stairwell of the library her permanent home in October after the library received a self-titled “glow-up” that same month.
“Susann Farrell was my favorite colleague,” said Executive Director Kelly Harris. “She was a fan of Halloween, spooky things, ghosts and fantasy, so to honor Susann and all her hard work and dedication to the library, we named the dragon after her.”
The dragon, a stuffed animal designed and created by board member Ann Sutphen, is very popular with the library’s youngest patrons. There is a special mailbox right by the stairs, and kids like to write her letters to ask for book recommendations, compliment her appearance, or even just to say hello. Susann will write each and every one of them back on her unique stationary, stamped with her very own wax seal.
“When you come into the library, there’s a little bit of whimsy and magic, as there should be,” Harris explained. “We want people to love our library and enjoy coming here, and we just thought Susann was a nice way to tie in libraries, reading and literary skills and our summer reading theme,” she continued.
The summer reading theme this year is “adventure begins at your library,” the perfect theme for Susann the dragon. To kick off the season, the library will host a party beginning at noon on Saturday, June 15, complete with several fantastical friends of Susann’s including princesses, Stormtroopers, and Mr. Softee.
The summer reading program works as a prize system. Readers can come in, get a reading log, read their assigned amount, come back and collect prizes. There are summer reading groups for all ages: “Read to Me,” “I Can Read,” teen groups and adult groups, which include book clubs like “Fantasy Legends and Lattes,” “I’m With the Banned” and even an independent bring-your-own-book group aptly titled “Silence Is Golden.”
There are also many events this summer that will cater to kids, happening just about every day of the week. There’s a summer concert series, which began last Sunday, a writing workshop for teens and tweens, a tween social justice book club, trivia and more.
“We try to find these opportunities for kids to discover the love of reading just by walking in the door,” Harris said.
Along with their independent events, the library is also participating in the Suffolk Cooperative Libraries Tour: a county-wide event where participants receive a tour booklet and get a stamp for each library visited. Every five, 15 and 20 libraries visited gets participants entered into a raffle. But it’s not as easy as just coming in and getting out. There is a hidden artifact in each library that everyone has to find in order to receive a stamp.
“We want people to come in, explore our libraries and really enjoy it,” Harris explained.
When asked about the importance of incorporating things like Susann the dragon into the library, Harris replied that “it’s really important that libraries are welcoming and friendly, and that we are one of these spaces where there is magic.”
Getting kids to immerse themselves in reading these days can be a challenge. When children come into the library, the computers and tablets are put away. They are accessible for homework, or educational programs like ABC Mouse but they are tucked away in a cart and need to be specifically requested to use.
“When kids come, they are fully immersed in the library experience, and we’ve been very thoughtful about that, even in how we do our displays,” Harris said.
Book displays in the children’s section are designed specifically for young readers. Instead of a book high on the shelf, spine out, where an adult might gravitate to it, “kids are going to see a picture book first, on their level, cover facing out. It really helps create that welcoming space,” Harris continued.
“We get the wonderful job of teaching them to love reading, love literacy,” Harris said. We love when people say their kid’s favorite place to go is the library, and we are very fortunate, here in Sag Harbor, to be able to provide that kind of experience for our patrons. It’s truly a magical place.”
