January

●      Kids Winter Reading and brand new Teen Winter Reading commenced.

●      Individuals received free health screenings at the Mobile Health Outreach Bus.

●      Dog lovers were “paws-itively” thrilled – the AKC Museum of the Dog was added to the Museum Pass collection.

February

●      A beautiful new fish tank adorns the Children’s Library.

●      91 kids & their families attended the Super Bowl “Saturday” event.

●      The Library hosted a “Little Valentines: Baby Supplies Drive” for local babies and families in need. 1,159 items were donated by our community.

●      The beloved annual Kids Bookmark Contest commenced this month.

●      Library teen volunteers made fidget bracelets, which were donated to Child Protective Services and Special Victims Unit. They will be given to children, being interviewed by officers, to help them feel calmer.

●      The Library held various book displays and programs in honor of Black History Month.

●      Construction began on the future café and new indoor seating area.

March

●      Winners were announced for the 9th annual Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Contest.

●      Creative children made paintings for a special Kids Art Display.

●      New toys for imaginative play were added to the Children’s department, including a kitchen and market.

●      Kids and Teens read 5,559 books for Winter Reading, which concluded in March.

●      The Children’s department visited Setauket Elementary for their annual Science Fair.

April

●      Winners of the 9th Annual Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Award were honored by the Library, Ms. Shack’s family, local elected officials, and representatives from the Three Village school district and The Stony Brook School at a special ceremony.

●      The Suffolk County Sheriff’s office hosted “Shed the Meds” at the Library for individuals to properly dispose of medications.

●      “Healthy Libraries” (in partnership with Stony Brook Medicine and the Suffolk Cooperative Library System and supported in part by the American Heart Association of Long Island) and “Health Insurance Assistance” (in partnership with the New York State Department of Health) helped 24 people in the lobby at Emma Clark.

●      The Health & Hygiene Drive brought 2,944 donated items for local organizations.

●      Teens met an author & editor and learned how to publish a book and about the variety of careers in publishing.

●      2 Girl Scout Troops were given tours of the Library in Children’s.  (45 people attended).

May

●      Winners of the 8th Annual Kids Bookmark Contest were announced in time for Children’s Book Week.

●      Tech Help (teen volunteers answering adults’ technology questions) now offered on Saturdays & Sundays too, in addition to Thursday evenings.

●      During our Community Shred Day event, 430 vehicles brought over 12,500 lbs. of paper to be recycled

●      The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame Museum, located in Stony Brook Village, was added to the Museum Pass Collection.

●      E-Waste & Metal Recycling Day brought 150 vehicles filled with electronics and scrap metal to recycle.

●      Both kids and adults joined Emma Clark Librarians at The Long Island Museum for tours of the exhibits that enhance the book discussions.

●      Level Up Kitchen, a local business owned and operated by Three Village native and chef Chelsea Gomez, was selected as the vendor for the Library’s future cafe.

June

●      Children’s and Teen Summer Reading Challenges began with the theme of “All Together Now.”

●      The Little Free Library was re-installed at West Meadow Beach for the summer, ready for visitors to “Take a book or leave a book.”

●      The Beach Supplies Drive brought in necessities for hot weather, including sunscreen, flip flops, hats, swimsuits, and beach toys, which were delivered to local organizations.

●      Teen volunteers trained to read stories to children this summer.

●      The first Teen Book Club “Was the Book Better?” had junior high and high school students discussing the book and movie, Holes, while enjoying snacks and a raffle prize!

●      Children’s had 3 big Summer reading programs to open the season:

○      Giant Game & Big Voice Day, had 167 people visit the Library.

○      The Great and Powerful Dave Magician, had 238 people visit the Library.

○      Summer Reading Kick-off Carnival, had 472 people visit the Library.

July

●      Our annual Summer Food Drive commenced.

●      32 teens became CPR certified at the library, thanks to the Stony Brook University Police Department.

August

●      Over 1,300 Three Village kids & teens read a record-breaking 27,556 books this summer! Minnesauke Elementary School won the coveted Emma Cup with 24.6% of their students completing the Summer Reading Challenge.

●      Grand Folk Railroad performed on the library lawn to 180 concertgoers.

●      175 people watched and listened to the Taiko Drums of Japan, presented by Ryu Shu.

●      248 Star Wars fans attended a thematic event in our Children’s Library. They were greeted by and took photos with “real” Stormtroopers.

●      In total, the annual summer Food Drive brought in about 1,000 items for local food pantries.

September

●      New library cardholders were entered into a raffle contest in honor of Library Card Sign-Up Month.

●      The Library partnered with Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare to offer free social work services for patrons each week.

●      Despite the rainy weather, E-Waste Recycling Day brought about 325 vehicles to recycle their unwanted electronics.

October

●      Edgar Allan “ScarePoe” was the library’s annual entry for the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s Scarecrow Contest. Made by library teen volunteers, he included 13 references to the author’s famous creepy tales and won 2nd place!

●      271 children, parents, & teen volunteers enjoyed the sweetest night at the Library – our annual Candy Land event!

●      The 2024 Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Contest kicked off, marking 10 years of this beloved contest for Three Village junior high and high school students.

●      As part of Suffolk Libraries’ The Great Give Back, kids and teens made pet toys and blankets, and the community donated 1,048 items to the Pet Supplies Drive.

November

●      In honor of Election Day, “Recognizing Women’s Right to Vote in New York State” exhibit was on display for the month, on loan from the Long Island Library Resources Council.

●      The Kids Mosaic Art Display, created by Three Village children, was hung up in the Children’s Library.

●      Local veterans were commemorated in the Library’s lobby and on social media channels. Children created handmade cards for the veterans in their lives, and teens made patriotic wreaths to be donated to veterans.

●      Fall Fun Day, which featured games, activities, and the Suffolk Libraries’ SLED bus, brought in 203 people on a day the children had off from school.

●      114 new pajamas were donated for local charities through the Library’s Pajamas Drive.

●      The Saturday Crafternoon program on Thanksgiving weekend brought in 63 children and parents into the library.

December

●      Level Up Kitchen Library Café opened, completing the much-anticipated final phase in a 2-year construction project, which includes the café, a new outdoor terrace, and better flow for the library’s main reading room.

●      316 kids, parents, & caregivers attended WinterFest during the holiday break.