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The books, periodicals, videotapes, and audio books in the collection continued to be adjusted in content -- as they always have been -- to suit community usage as well as to include new releases and current topics. The changes may be most noticeable in the young-adult and adult fiction materials.
Some reference materials, both new additions and updates, are now on compact disks rather than in printed editions. Because a computer work station is needed to read them, the convenience for browsing is less, as is the convenience for quickly looking up specific information, but the space savings of CDs versus large volumes permits us to maximize use of the available shelf space and to include some more specialized references as well.
The computer work station, and especially its internet access, has received much use. The issue of library filtering of access to inappropriate content, as required by the U.S. Congress for federally related funding, has continued to be a troublesome one and is not yet fully resolved --- primarily because there is no workable technical solution that would provide even the same level of evaluation that selecting materials for the shelves does.
Interlibrary loan activity has continued to increase, presumably because of increased patron use of the combined catalogs for the holdings of so many Rhode Island libraries (see the "RELATED LINKS" page). The relevance of the collection here is indicated by the library having lent nearly as many volumes as it received.
Both juvenile and adult programs continued to be well attended, including two active pre-school story sessions. The 2002 summer reading program "Once Upon A Summertime ..." capitalized on imagination (sometimes called fantasy), and additional programs included magic, stories, tunes, the basics of making music (on a harp), and activities (a Girl Scouts project). Numerous school visits, both at the library and at the schools, complemented the other events. The popular teddy-bear's picnic and ice-cream social were reminders that libraries are as much about people as they are about books.
The Siciliano memorial program series ranged from to a porcupine in an outhouse through quilt making to a "Hail To The [First-] Ladies" presentation (although not in that order). And the popular "Holiday Stroll" activi-ties at the library were a delight for the entire staff as well as for the other people of all ages who have shared them since the first carol sing was held at the gazebo years ago.
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