Coming up in September: news, holidays, and fresh ways to help

Holiday closure: The Library (both locations) will be closed on Monday, September 7, for Labor Day.

Additional Shute Park closure: The Shute Park Branch will be closed on Sunday, September 13, due to a large concert that will be taking place in the park that day. The Main Library will be open as usual.

"Swarm" the Main Library on September 13: On Sunday, September 13, staff and volunteers are invited to "swarm" the Main Library from 8-11am to shelve, check-in, weed, spiff up the place, and generally get a ton of work done. We'll have breakfast goodies and a variety of fun tasks to work on with the whole team. If you'd like to come in and help out, please let me know by the 11th.

Hillsboro Reads in October: The Library selected Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee as our first-ever Hillsboro Reads community-wide reading title. We'll have events throughout October, including an evening with Marja Mills, author of The Mockingbird Next Door, on the 27th. Check the calendar for many more events and book discussion opportunities.

Library levy on the November 3 ballot: A countywide library levy will be on the November 3, 2015 ballot. It would replace the current levy that expires in June 2016. There's detailed information online on the levy proposal, and about WCCLS's part in providing library services. Please remember that during your Library volunteer shift you are a public representative of the Library, and just like Library staff, you are not allowed to advocate for or against the levy. We'll be inviting volunteers to informational sessions next month (dates TBD) if you'd like to learn more. And, of course, you're welcome to discuss the levy in any way you'd like outside of your volunteer time! We will have more information for you soon, but let me know if you have any questions in the meantime.

Volunteer opportunities for the fall: We're looking for people to help with some new and growing programs this fall. Take a look, and if you or someone you know is interested, please let me know!

• Homework Helpers: Last school year, due to the dedication of super volunteer Keith, we were able to offer Homework Help at the Shute Park Branch two evenings a week. We'd love to grow the program (and get Keith some help!) this year. Our biggest need is for folks who can help kids with middle school/high school math, but if you have expertise in another area, let's talk. 
• 3D Printing Lab Monitors: Our volunteer-led 3D printing open lab has been tremendously popular at the Main Library; now we'd like to get it running at the Shute Park Branch. If you're knowledgeable about 3D printing, or curious and eager to learn, we would like to host an open lab once a month on Friday afternoons. 
• Community Outreach: If you were at Celebrate Hillsboro, you may have spotted the Library On The Loose, our new portable Library. We're expanding our Library outreach activities, bringing our resources to new places, and introducing the Library to people who haven't been here yet. We're planning to focus on school outreach and community-wide events. If you like sharing about what the Library has to offer and have some time to spend out and about in Hillsboro, we will put you to work! Just bring your enthusiasm and we'll provide the training.  
• Storytime Helpers: We are looking for storytime helpers at the Main Library for Book Babies, Toddler Time, Science Family Storytime, and Preschool Storytime. Storytime helpers work with staff to set up before the program, greet kiddos and their grownups when they come in, and generally provide an extra pair of hands for the staff person who's presenting the storytime. The current openings are on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings. 

Mark your calendar for the Fall Book Sale: It's never too soon to plan for the next Friends of the Library Book Sale. The fall sale will be October 30 - November 8. We'll be starting setup on Saturday, October 3, and tearing down on November 10-11, and we'll need extra help the whole time in between. You can sign up for weekend shifts online or let me know if you'd like to come in midweek to help us sort, alphabetize, and get things ready to sell, sell, sell!