Washington library has tools to help you attain your goals

The new year is often about starting fresh, new beginnings and growth. We often take a look inward at ourselves and consider the habits, or possibly our lack of habits, that might help us live a more fulfilling and productive life. This year, I challenge you to consider the library as a spot to help you create and maintain some of your goals for 2024. Why should the gym get all of the New Year resolution excitement anyway?

We have many tools that can help you attain your goals and get motivated. If you are the kind of person that enjoys tracking your goals and technology, then check out the website www.beanstack.com. Through this link you can create an account for you and your children and use it in various ways to track the books you are reading. The website is fairly easy to navigate but we would be happy to show you how it works. Just stop in at the library and ask one of our helpful librarians.

The library is also continually getting new books in every section. If you go to our website you will see an orange flag in the top right that says “Search Catalog.” Once you click on that flag and are in the catalog, you will see all of the books that are newest to our library scroll across the top. You are able to read summaries of each book and can even check them out from the comfort of your home. The librarians check the reserve list daily and while you cannot get your books immediately, it will notify you once they have been collected and are ready to go.

Have you been interested in learning more about the technology resources available here at the library? Each Thursday, 10 a.m.-noon, Beth Swift is here to work with you and help you discover even more opportunities our library offers through technology. She has a way of breaking it down so any person can learn and feel comfortable using technology no matter their age or previous experience.

We don’t want to forget to teach our children about the importance of setting goals and completing them. We have an excellent program available for the littles called, “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.” This program is for children birth to preschool age. Once they sign up for the program, they track the amount of books they read. We even have well-thought out selections of books of all types packed in backpacks that are ready and waiting to be checked out.

Children can earn small incentives as they work their way to reading 1000 books. After reading 1000 books they get to pick out a free book and we proudly display their picture in our children’s area. This is a wonderful way to reinforce the importance of reading and also teach early literacy skills that will be needed once they start Kindergarten. Make sure you stop in and ask anyone at the circulation desk for more information.

Make 2024 your best year yet by making the Washington Public Library a part of your daily or weekly routine. We would love to help you grow and become the best you can be in the new year.