Plymouth LEAPS! is a project
of the Terryville Public Library
and the community of Plymouth, Connecticut.
About Us
Why we do what we do?
The answer is simple. We do what we do because of you. Your needs and desires shape the services of the Terryville Public Library. The Terryville Public Library has been working to fulfill the informational, recreational and educational neeeds of Plymouth residents since 1895 by helping you find answers to your questions and by offering library materials and programs.
When Children’s Department staff became active in the Plymouth Early Childhood Council and aware of several serious community needs, we sprang into action. There were three major questions that patrons and community members were asking that the Children’s Department wanted to answer. These questions are universal; At one time or another, most parents ask these questions. You may have asked them yourself.
- How can I be the best parent I can be?
- How can I help my child be ready to enter school, and how can I help them be successful once they are in school?
- How can I find out what services are available for my family?
In an effort to provide the guidance, materials and programs that the community sought, the Terryville Public Library applied for a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the State of Connecticut and Institute for Museum and Library Services in early 2008. Given the expansive nature of the project, the Terryville Public Library was awarded the grant in fall 2008. The ongoing project, entitled “Plymouth Literacy Enrichment and Parent Support” or Plymouth LEAPS!, has four key elements.
The Terryville Public Library will:
- Offer a new storytime specifically for infants and toddlers and their parents that is developmentally appropriate and provides time for new parents to socialize.
- Rejuvenate the Children’s Area of the library with new furniture and colorful wall paintings.
- Assemble a collection of circulating themed Children’s Reading Kits (CRiKits), which aid parents in choosing appropriate books for children and beginning to use the dialogic reading technique to develop critical early literacy skills that will support school readiness and success in school.
- Launch a website that provides a comprehensive list of resources for families and children (including recreational opportunities), parenting information and video tutorials, early literacy information and ideas for use at home, and more.
These four elements directly attempt to answer the three needs that residents shared.
Who are the people I will be working with?
Although the entire staff of the Terryville Public Library is committed to assisting library patrons, parents and children utilizing resources associated with Plymouth LEAPS! will primarily be working with the Children’s Department staff.
Miss Gretchen
Gretchen L. Durley, or Miss Gretchen, as she is affectionately known by library patrons, is the children’s librarian of the Terryville Public Library in Connecticut. She earned her B.S. in Business Administration with a specialization in Management from Elmira College in upstate New York, and is currently pursuing the Master of Library Science degree at Southern Connecticut State University. Miss Gretchen shares a comfortable home with her brother, sister-in-law, two middle-aged cats, Nevada and Joy, two teenage cats, Freddie and Claude, and one Betta fish. At the Library she conducts story times for infants and toddlers up to 24 months old, assists in Early Bird storytime, conducts Every Child Ready to Read workshops and performs many other duties. She frequently misses her New Hampshire family and best friend Chris.
Miss Linda
Linda Russo, or Miss Linda, is the Assistant Children's Librarian at the Terryville Public Library. She has lived in Terryville, with her husband Sebastian and her four daughters, for 33 years. At the library, she enjoys the opportunity to help in the development of the Children’s Department by serving library patrons and organizing age-appropriate programming for children. She plans and leads both Time for Twos and Night Owls story times. You might know Miss Linda from her years at Terry Nursery School, working with the State of Connecticut in foster care, or because of her dedication to the service of people with disabilities at Bristol ARC. Having completed her Bachelor’s degree at age 50, Miss Linda has kept education and service as focal points of her career. Miss Linda can be contacted at the Terryville Public Library at lrusso@biblio.org.
