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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2017)
community may18 2017 Pages Keep Turning at the Vernonia Library for toddlers in addition to the Preschool Storytime. “My love for story time pro- grams started when I was working at Washington County,” she says. “When I started working in Vernonia I wanted to expand that and it’s been fun because I like to incorporate music and movement and more involvement with the kids.” Those story time ac- tivities have been one way that Romtvedt has seen the Library help build community. “The ongoing weekly programing has been very fulfilling,” says Romtvedt. “It’s what keeps the families coming in regularly and also checking out materi- als. Just having people come in regularly gives them a chance to meet each other. We’ve had a lot of little kid friendships and parent friendships that have de- veloped here at the Library.” She says she has seen significant increases in par- ticipation in programs like the annual Summer Reading Program and the Dr. Seuss Celebration. She has also greatly increased the number of activities for children and youth, like adding a craft party prior to the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and has made a specific ef- fort to welcome homeschool families in the community to visit and make use of the Library. Romtvedt notes that she gets a lot of help from her staff and from vol- unteers to keep programs and the rest of the Library running smoothly. “Nancy and Brandy have a lot to do with keep- ing our regular programs going,” says Romtvedt. “We have to work together to figure out where our limitations are as a staff and where we need to direct our volunteer resources, and I really appreci- ate everything that they do.” Romtvedt has also made col- laborations with the community a pri- ority. She helped organize a Beginning Knitting for Kids class, taught by local Caitlin Hunter (who is also introduc- ing a knitting class for adults). In April the Library organized and hosted Get Rhythm at the Library, a musical pro- gram series sponsored by the Columbia County Cultural Coalition, the Friends of the Vernonia Library, the Vernonia Li- ons Club, and Jack and Randal Harvey. The program featured Oregon Sympho- ny Storytime with percussionist Gordon Rencher, a visit by puppeteer Red Yard, and the Rutabaga Rhythm Workshops 9 continued from front page with local musician Joe Seamons which included workshops and a concert at the Vernonia Schools and a community con- cert at the Vernonia Grange. Romtvedt notes that she is cur- rently looking to expand her staff with a very part-time position that will fo- cus on developing children’s programing for K-5 aged stu- dents. Expanded programs for children are not the only thing Romtvedt has developed since she became Library Director. She has been adding more programs for adults as well, which have also seen a con- tinuing increase in attendance and participation. Romtvedt says her time working in the larger Wash- ington County Library system helped her develop ideas that might be a good fit in Verno- nia. The Writers Group she initiated has been popular and was something she organized in Forest Grove. She has also initiated a Grow It series, which makes use of local Master Gardeners to explore gardening tech- niques, and she has seen attendance at other adult oriented programs rise. Recent programs have included a visit by Scappoose author and musi- cian Willy Vlautin, a presentation by local Jim Buxton on the upcoming so- lar eclipse, more Oregon Humanities Conversation Projects, whose programs have made regular appearances at the Vernonia Library during Romtvedt’s tenure, and an upcoming Homesteading in Vernonia program presented by OSU Columbia County Extension agent Chip Bubl. A Community Conversation held in early May at the Library with local timbermen Don Webb of Vernonia and Fred Heller from Chapman was present- ed by the Oregon Folklife Network, and provided another opportunity for outside collaboration with Romtvedt and the Li- brary. “Programing is what I had the most experience with, and I have a bunch more now,” says Romtvedt. Romtvedt says a lot of ideas for programs come directly from the com- munity. “Often things start with an individual or a group suggesting some- thing they would like to see happening at the Library, and then we talk about it together to see what might be possible,” explains Romtvedt. She says she is will- ing to try new things, but, because staff and funding is limited, those types of new programs will often require an in- terested volunteer to drive them. “It’s often trial and error and trying things out that someone said they were inter- ested in, and then seeing how it works. We just have to have the volunteers, but I’m always looking for ways to make the Library more accessible to everyone.” Some examples of community driven programs that Romtvedt has tried and were somewhat successful, but then lost traction for various reasons include a Stamp Club, Chess Club, and Game Nights and other game events; the Game Nights actually led to the Library start- ing a board game collection which is available for check out, rather than being continued on page 19 Receive a $5 off coupon Bighorn Logging since 1981 Contract Logging 503-324-2422 Free Estimates Timber Purchases Timber Management Oregon Professional Logger certified since 1996 New Day Massage and Bodyworks Theraputic Massage Specializing in • Auto/Work Injury Rehabilitation • Medical Massage Cupping • Manual Lymph Drainage • Nutritional Counseling • Post Mastectomy Care • Oncology Support • Sauna on-site Heather Lewis, LMT, LMP, CLT, NT 847 Madison Avenue, Vernonia For appointments call: 503-429-4677 Insurance accepted #10732 RIDE INN $10 off Accessories with any Verizon phone purchase now with Unlimited Everything with coupon NowOpen!•15rooms•Fullyremodeled 900 Madison Avenue, Vernonia 971-227-0462 503-382-9380 jeromecordell@gmail.com Authorized wireless retailer 350 W Columbia River Hwy Clatskanie 503-728-9020 503-338-9989 clatskaniecomputers@gmail.com
