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Published January 13. 2023 11:55AM

BY LORI R. COOPER TNEDITOR@TNONLINE.COM

Penn Kidder Library in Albrightsville recently held a special sleepover.

Children brought their favorite stuffed animal to leave at the library for an overnight stay. As the stuffed animals played throughout the night, pictures were taken to share with the kids. Families could check social media to see what their favorite friends were doing all night.

The animals enjoyed Capri Sun and snacking on devil dogs and pop tarts. The critters even helped with a library community art project.

Kara Edmonds, library director, said a former staff member came up with the idea.

“Kids love the idea of animals coming to life,” Edmonds said. “They get to flex their imagination and write their own stories.”

Books such as “Paddington Bear” and “The Velveteen Rabbit” use this idea, as well as the beloved movie “Toy Story.” Edmonds wants children to “think of the library as a fun place to be and build a lifetime connection.”

After a nap, the stuffed animals got into a bit of mischief using the copier to make prints of their bodies. The critters were excited about telling their pals about the fun night they had.

Penn Kidder Library has a few other exciting things happening. It will be offering four hot spots that will be available for “check out.”

This will allow those without internet access to “borrow” Wi-Fi for up to a week, with renewal available for an additional week. Library patrons can go to the library to “sign out” the hot spot.

Also new for the library, museum passes will be available to “check out.”

Free passes to the American Wheels Museum, Bucks County Children’s Museum (New Hope), the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum and Pearl S. Buck House (Perkasie) and Reading Museum will be available.

There is a maximum of four passes per patron.

The hot spots and museum passes should be available beginning Jan. 15 and are available at all Allentown Library District libraries.

To see the full article check out https://www.tnonline.com/20230113/a-night-at-the-library-for-childrens-stuffed-animals/

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and Dimmick Memorial Library, along with its Penn Kidder Branch, are excited to offer the community an array of educational resources to help foster a better understanding of how brain injuries affect the community. This year, The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has continued its nationwide #MoreThanMyBrainInjury campaign, spotlighting survivors to “increase understanding, reduce stigma, improve care, and showcase the diversity in [the brain injury] community.” In support of this mission, Dimmick and Penn-Kidder will host an educational discussion in the coming weeks, while continuing to offer access to a very wide range of reading material on the subject at our libraries and those in the region. Education is, after all, the only road to understanding.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) are alarmingly common, as highlighted by the findings of Pennsylvania’s own TBI Advisory Board. The Board’s analyses in 2020 revealed that roughly 138,600 people sustain brain injuries annually. And at the time of the study, there were 209,880 adults and children living with disabilities as a result of their injury.

But just what is a TBI? How do we prevent them? And, more to the point of the campaign, what can we do to help those who have suffered one? TBIs are most often suffered by blunt force trauma to the head, causing “a disruption in the normal function of the brain.” Falls, car accidents, violent assaults, athletic activities, and workplace injuries are cited amongst the most common incidents resulting in TBI.

Although many people may fully recover from such an injury, others may develop symptoms or disabilities that will impact the rest of their lives. Because TBIs target the most complex organ of the human body, the effects are completely unpredictable. Even a seemingly mild TBI may result in permanent chemical changes in the brain or severe cell damage.

In some cases, brain injury may even alter one’s behavior, such that the person no longer acts quite like themself. Naturally, this will strain relationships, as it’s difficult for people who’ve not suffered a TBI to understand what the other is going through. Patience and education will help. And it’s worth it because support is absolutely vital for a good recovery.

Common courtesy is as good a place to begin as any. When speaking to a person with a TBI, be mindful that their challenges will probably not be visible to the naked eye, nor can they be so easily overcome as, say, a broken leg. Be sensitive to their condition. It’s often tempting to think that a casual or lighthearted comment is helpful, but this is seldom the case. Among some phrases commonly endured by those with TBIs include “You sure don’t look disabled,” “I know someone with a brain injury and they’re fine,” or “Hey, I forget things all the time too!” Regardless of how well-intentioned they might be, comments like these are plainly dismissive and unsupportive.

If someone you know has suffered a TBI, the most important thing you can do is to educate yourself on the subject. There are many resources online, available at the BIAA’s website, and cdc.gov. And even more valuably there are plenty of books on the topic as well.

Effectively educating yourself may take a while, but there’s plenty you can do to show your support in the meantime. Be attentive and sympathetic. Offer to help whenever possible. Remember that a person may not always be comfortable asking for help, but may still need it, and never assume that “no news is good news.” (Let’s face it; that’s almost never true.)

It’s important to remember that no two brain injuries are entirely alike. But even if TBIs were all the same, they would still affect people differently, because people aren’t entirely alike. And although education is important, support begins with one very simple understanding: People are not defined by a diagnosis. A person is always a person first.

PHEAA (Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency) is offering two free FAFSA Overview workshops for interested people on February 28 and April 18 at 6PM.  Register for this event by visiting PHEAA.org/virtual

Our local artist showcase for Autumn 2021 is Yvonne Wright! Come see her exhibition of 35 works (paintings, drawings, and photography) at the Dimmick Memorial Library! The pieces will be on display until the end of November. Her work, in her words, “often draws on the legacy of Surrealism where the unexpected, the hidden, and the playful can be perceptively revealed at closer inspection.”

For more information, here is an interview with Yvonne from BRCTV!

A portion of the total sales of the show benefits the library.

The Dimmick Memorial Library and other libraries in the Lehigh Carbon Library Cooperative (LCLC) are pleased to announce that starting September 1, 2021, we will no longer charge late fees for books and other items.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Due Dates: All items still have due dates and a limited number of renewals. Borrowing times will remain the same: Most books and audiobooks for 3 weeks, high demand books for 2-weeks and, DVDs for 1-week loans. You can renew most items 2 times.
2. Lost Items: Items that are 28 days overdue are marked as lost in the system, and you’ll be charged replacement costs and processing fees as usual. If you return the lost item before paying the replacement cost, we’ll waive that charge. However, we can’t refund money that you’ve already paid, even if you return the book later.
3. Exceptions: You may have to pay overdue fees for Interlibrary Loans, which are materials we borrow from libraries outside our system. Also, some of our libraries have special collections like museum passes, STEM kits, and musical instruments that may charge overdue fees. If you’re checking out materials besides books, DVDs, or CDs, you can ask the owning library if overdue fees apply.
4. Past Overdue Fines: Starting September 1, the library can waive any overdue fines on your account from any past materials, apart from the exceptions listed above.
5. Other Charges: You will still be charged other fees for things like lost and damaged items. We won’t waive any old fees except for overdue items.
6. Blocked Accounts: Your library account is blocked if it has $10 or more in fees, including fees from lost materials. No items can be checked out until this amount is settled. It will also prevent you from using some resources in certain libraries, including databases.

Our July and August artist is Patt Anglovich! Her paintings, matted photos, postcards and greeting cards are on display at the Library. Items are available for purchase. Stop by the circulation desk for a price list.

As of June 1st, 2021, the Dimmick Memorial Library is no longer requiring appointments to enter the library Monday-Thursday! Patrons can now just walk in to browse or use the computers. Porch pickup is still available every day for patrons who are interested. We still do require all patrons to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, to protect our most at-risk community.

Friday afternoons and Saturdays remain appointment and Porch pick-up only.

We at the Dimmick are so excited about NEPA Gives this Friday! For more information about how to best support our library on this exciting day of giving, our director Kara Edmonds did a quick video explaining the different ways to donate and how to unlock fun prizes for our library!