the scoop FALL 2020

NEWS FROM WISSAHICKON VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY Welcome to the New Ambler Branch Library!

We are thrilled to announce the completion of the Our vision could not have become a reality without renovation and expansion of the Ambler Branch your generosity and support. Our sincerest Library! After many months of planning, fundraising appreciation for your gifts, your sponsorship, your and construction, we are finally back home at 209 pledges, your bids in our auction and for each and Race Street in a beautiful new space and ready to every way you found to give to this project. welcome you. For more about how you did it, turn the pages! Your This extensive renovation project has given us an spirit of giving has truly sustained us throughout this additional 2,458 square feet, a completely accessible project from start to finish. entrance, a new interior with a dedicated children's room, conference room and community room. This is the modern space which will carry us into the This is the modern space which will future: a place of gathering and learning for our carry us into the future: a place of community for years to come. gathering and learning for our PHOTOS (Clockwise L to R): New exterior with accessible community for years to come. ramp; Teen Space; Children's Room; new circulation desk.

MAIN LIBRARY AMBLER BRANCH 650 SKIPPACK PIKE BLUE BELL PA 19422 215-643-1320 209 RACE STREET AMBLER PA 19002 215-646-1072 WISSAHICKON VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY THANK YOU! FALL 2020 Vol 1 IssuePAGE 21 2 A Library Transformed Through Your Kindness

Renovation Celebration Giving Gifts Gala & With your generous support with Great Love Silent Auction and participation we reached We continued to receive our Capital Campaign goal of contributions throughout the Despite the cancellation of the $400,000 for the Ambler campaign and through a variety of in-person gala event in April, the 'mini' fundraisers at Blue Bell and library still received $8,900 in Library Expansion Project. Ambler Branch. contributions! We could not be more grateful to all of you who Thank you for your envelopes and could not attend, but decided to kind notes. Thank you for give anyway. Your generosity purchasing popcorn at the movie boosted our spirits during a matinees, Miss Michelle's Music challenging time. CDs, lawn signs and fundraiser buttons. You brought in your Your participation in our You have given in a variety of change to fill our Piggybanks and silent auction continued to dined and donated at our event at support the Capital ways and we thank you for your Tannery Run Brew Works in Campaign when we moved it commitment to lifelong learning Ambler. online! Featuring over 100 items such as themed gift and literacy at Wissahickon Even as our doors were closed baskets, framed artwork, Valley Public Library. during the Spring, your support restaurant, museum kept pouring in. You also read experiences and more, the over 1,500 books this summer auction raised over 50% of Together we realized resulting in a matching gift that our goal in only two weeks. the creation of a raised $3,000. With each and The grand total from the every contribution, we were virtual auction was $7,903! community library amazed by your enthusiasm and You made it a great success! for today and for the future. kindness. Thank you!

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At the heart of the library are people Whether to renovate our building or to like you. Our gratitude to all who fund our programs and resources, your gift have made a recent contribution to allows us to continue our work to educate, our 2020-2021 Annual Appeal. to inform and to contribute to the richness Your support of our endeavors of our shared community experience. reminds us that we are partners in the Please consider a gift today. library's mission. 4 THANK YOU!

PHOTOS (1) Administrative Assistant and Auction Organizer Danielle Martin with one of the many auction gift baskets. (2) Miss Michelle with Renovation buttons at Lower Gwynedd's Pike Fest (3) Supporters enjoy a night out at the Tannery Run Brew Works fundraiser (4) Circulation Supervisor Liz Shane and Youth Services Librarian Erin Mazzoni share our message for you! WISSAHICKON VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY FALL 2020 PAGE 3 Welcome Back! We're Here to Serve You A Message From Director Anne Frank You Make our Hours & Services Work Worthwhile MASKS REQUIRED As we look forward to our new and FOR ENTRY Here are just a few of the kind exciting chapter at Ambler Branch, words you've shared with us as we reopened this year! we also look back on these past BLUE BELL Monday through Friday "It was so nice to return to the unprecedented months and the library and greet the staff and challenges a pandemic brought to Open for Browsing 11 AM to 7 PM browse the stacks. It felt like a providing library services to our returning of a long lost friend. 20 persons Maximum, up to 30 community. "Thank you for being here. The minutes per visit library is truly one of the perks of Saturday: living in Blue Bell!" We shifted our focus to purchase Contactless Pick-up by Appt. "We love seeing Miss Michelle's more eBooks and eAudiobooks that Sunday: CLOSED storytimes online. My kids even could be accessed safely from home. talk to the screen as if she's in We quickly learned to host AMBLER the computer!" education programming online to Monday through Friday Open for Browsing "Thank you for conducting the provide a safe gathering space in a retirement seminar. It was very 11 AM to 7 PM informative and helpful, time of social distance. We also 15 persons Maximum, up to 30 especially in these uncertain secured the necessary supplies to times." minutes per visit provide contactless pick-up and the Saturday: "Your books and videos and Overdrive app have been my safe resumption of in-person Contactless Pick-up by Appt. lifeline through this year!" services. Sunday: CLOSED "Thank you for the online ESL conversation group. Though All of these surprising new ways of Public Computer Use by Appt at Blue Bell & Ambler I'm back in Germany, I can still working were also demands on our join! The group is a great Call to Schedule comfort to me." resources. With your help, we can Blue Bell: 215-643-1320 be more resilient than ever in these Ambler: 215-646-1072 What are you reading? strenuous times. Top 10 E-Books Won’t you donate to help 1. American Dirt Connecting with by Jeanine Cummins the community recover, learn and Our Community grow? Your contribution enables The transition to online programs 2. The Vanishing Half us to do what we love to do: serve did not diminish your participation! by Brit Bennett Here are a few fun statistics from you! April 1 to October 30! 3. Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Please give today. An envelope is Adult Educational Events, Family by Robert Kolker online groups & webinars enclosed or if you prefer to donate 69 4. The Dutch House online, please go to www.wvpl.org Attendees at adult by Ann Patchett and click on “Donate.” If you have 1,106 educational programs 5. Big Summer given recently, we thank you. Our Books read in our by Jennifer Weiner sincerest appreciation for your 1,972 2020 Online Summer 6. The Night Watchman support of the Wissahickon Valley Reading Challenge by Louise Erdrich Public Library. Children's Online Educational Events 7. In Five Years 42 by Rebecca Serle Attendees at children's programs 8. Little Fires Everywhere 1,197 by Celeste Ng Number of countries 15 & states outside PA 9. The Giver of Stars from which attendees by Jojo Moyes joined our programs online 10. The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Ft. Washington, PA 650 Skippack Pike Permit #51 Blue Bell, PA 19422 Your gift ensures a legacy of literacy in the Wissahickon Valley community. Give today at www.wvpl.org/donate Occupant or

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RENOVATION CELEBRATION SILENT AUCTION SPONSORS & BASKET DONORS OUR GALA SPONSORS: Boyertown Museum of Historic Longwood Gardens Spring House Tavern Caddick Utilities, LLC Vehicles Mary Claghorn State Senator Daylin Leach Bucks County Children’s Museum & Fonthill Castle Susan Gustafson Doyle Painting Cantina Feliz/Feliz Restaurants Michael’s Pizza Sweet Briar Cafe Shaeff-Myers Funeral Home Caroline Frank Michaelle & Cary Fleisher Terri & Brian Sullivan Barbara and Phil Albright Cathie McCauley Mütter Museum Thai Orchid Restaurant Mary Claghorn Centre Square Fire Company Nancy & Joel Mayor The Fireside Bar & Grill Rosemary and Jim Garrity Chanticleer Nancy Davis The Little Gym of Springhouse Charisma Hair Studio (Oreland) National Constitution Center The Phil’s Tavern The Palmer Family Foundation Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty National Museum of American The Pizza Box BASKET DONORS: DiFrancesco Opticians Jewish History The Academy of Natural Sciences of Dutch Wonderland National Museum of Industrial Trader Joe’s of Montgomeryville Drexel University East Cuisine Restaurant History Turning Point (Blue Bell) Adventure Aquarium Eastern State Penitentiary Historic No Bare Walls Framing Studio Tyler Arboretum African American Museum in Site Nolan Painting (Havertown) Vic Sushi Elizabeth & Bill McKeon Old York Road Country Club Villari’s Martial Arts of Ambler Ambler Beverage Exchange Eric Bell Pancheros Mexican Grill Whitpain Township Police Ambler Flower Shop Friends of the Wissahickon Valley Pat Grotzinger Department Ambler Symphony Orchestra Public Library, Blue Bell Pearl S. Buck International Wild Lilies Jewelry Ambler Theater Gerry and Eun Liebling Penn Museum Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum Ambler YMCA Giant Food Store of Blue Bell Academy of Fine Arts Woodmere Art Museum American Helicopter Museum & Glencairn Museum (Bryn Athyn) Philadelphia Museum of Art Zakes Café Education Center Golden Sea Chinese Restaurant Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens Zoë’s Kitchen Anne Frank Il Giardino Pho Thai Nam Baker & Taylor Independence Seaport Museum Roots Restaurant (East Norriton) And to our ticket Beth & Bernie Johl Japan America Society of Greater Saffron Indian Kitchen buyers, too... Blue Bell Camp Philadelphia Sellersville Theater & The THANK YOU! Blue Bell Inn Kellie Burnette Washington House We could not have realized our Blue Bell Pizza Lee’s Hoagie House (Blue Bell) Simeone Foundation Born to Run Live Nation & The Fillmore (Phila). Sincerely Sweets and Gifts dream of a new Ambler Branch library without you!