Hello!
I can’t believe another year has gone by.... and this one has been a full one! I am so proud of all that we have accomplished this year. Our collection grew to 102,321 physical items, and we served 75,990 visitors last year. Most notably, we completed a community survey in November and received more than 450 responses. Your input and ideas were vital to our library’s planning. Thank you so much for sharing your feedback on programs, services, spaces, staff, and collection. While the feedback was generally positive, we identified opportunities to improve our services. Our full plan will be ready in January 2024 and in the meantime, I can share that we’ve identified four priorities over the next three years: Engaging Community, Supporting Literacy, Fostering Connection in a Divided World, and Enriching Lives Through the Arts & Culture. I am excited for what the coming year(s) will bring!
As 2023 comes to a close we are hosting our 14th annual gingerbread contest and the annual Kensington Garden Club Holiday Tree. This year, the winter white tree is decorated with a candy theme in colors of red, pink, blue, and of course gingerbread! You can see it twinkling in our front window, and I hope you will come in to look at both the tree and the gingerbread houses decorated by members of our community that will be on display December 14-29.
It seems to me that all these things – our strategic planning and special holiday celebrations – reflect perfectly the introspection we often feel this time of year. We reflect on things past, take time to savor the sweetness of the everyday, make special efforts to create joy, and ponder what the future may look like. We look forward to you being a part of our future. Happy holidays!
Warmly, Kim | 
