L I B R A R I E S TO DAY
Personal Growth for Patrons by Jack Weiss — Adult Reference Librarian
Once upon a time, when masks were a feature of Halloween Trick-orTreaters, and vaccines were an optional prophylactic against the flu, Mamaroneck Public Library began an Adult Coloring Class as one of many programs we offered to our adult patron population. To our pleasant surprise, the program was a huge hit with our patrons. Head of Reference Trish Byrne notes, “We began our efforts to help patrons ‘de-stress’ back in October of 2015 with our Adult Coloring Program. It was an instant success. This program offered our patrons a break from their hectic lives. They were not only coloring, but disconnecting from devices, forming friendships, relaxing, and listening to Zen music. Since then, the world is even more complicated and stressful. Therefore, Mamaroneck Library aims to be a key contributor to our community’s health and well -being.” Our library responded to the COVID-19 pandemic as did many libraries around the country: Curbside pickup for patrons, and Zoom programs. While most Zoom programs are designed to entertain and educate ours also had several (very popular) programs designed to elicit relaxation and tranquility in our troubled patrons: •
Our weekly Qi Gong program, ably led by Steve Goldstein, has a very dedicated following, and the class is recorded and posted on our YouTube channel, linked to our website.
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We offer 2 weekly meditation classes, both morning and evening: Meditation with Dani, is a very popular program offered by Dani Guilderson on Tuesday evenings at 8pm, and Mindfulness Meditation for Less Stress, hosted by Jane Meryll, has a devoted following on Thursday mornings at 9am.
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In Springtime, our Zoom programming was highlighted by a four-class series, Laugh Yoga, led by a certified Laughter Yoga teacher, Ms. Natalie DeCandia
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During the Summer, we left the Zoom environment, offering programs outside in nearby Harbor Island Park: We had a wildly popular Communal Drum Circle during July, August, and September that was well attended. We also presented Outdoor Yoga every Wednesday from mid-May through the end of July, hosted by Ms. Denise Mathieson, a local Yoga teacher.
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In January, we presented an in-house program of Sound Healing & Tibetan Singing Bowls Workshop, presented by Ms. Michelle Clifton. Participants were able to experience the deep relaxation and meditative principles of sound healing.
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Lastly, we established a Personal Growth section that has been popular with patrons.
Jack Weiss joined Mamaroneck Public Library in 2015 as an Adult Reference Librarian. He is a graduate of Pratt Institute and a member of Beta Phi Mu.
How do our patrons feel about our Mindfulness programs? One wrote us, “The day the country shut down was a horrible day, and an immediate void surrounded me. These events felt isolating and felt a bit imbalancing, but through the Library’s Meditation Group, I learned a way to center myself, and concentrate on something else, if even for just a short time. It’s helped me in so many ways, not having to do with the pandemic and gave me a sense of self-worth where I didn’t always have [one].” SPRING 2022 | ISSUE 01
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