Author: webAdmin

By: Eli Messing, Public Service Assistant 

When our brave United States veterans come home, the transition to daily civilian life isn’t always smooth. With Veteran’s Day coming up fast, we here at The Library would like to highlight some of the resources we have available to help our local veterans all year long.

Through POWER Library, which you can access via the Research tab on dcls.org, there is a tool available on the Pennsylvania Job Resources link that translates military experience into skills needed for a civilian job. By entering their Military Occupational Classification code (MOC) and branch of service, veterans will find a list of civilian jobs that match the valuable skills they developed during their military service. This list includes job titles, average wages, and education level requirements. Simply enter the ZIP code of the area you live in to be connected directly to all available local job applications in your field!

At the McCormick Riverfront Library (MRL), in downtown Harrisburg, our social workers help connect veterans in need with local organizations offering housing assistance and other essential services. They have compiled a list of resources and programs offered specifically for veterans by the YWCA Greater Harrisburg.

The YWCA provides transitional housing for eligible homeless male veterans, with services that may include up to 24 months of housing, case management, life skills training and employment support. The organization also helps eligible veterans and their families with housing counseling, financial planning, and help accessing childcare services.

Another valuable resource is Veterans Stand Down, an event that connects veterans with housing, health care, legal assistance and other community services. This year’s event will take place Wednesday, November 4, at the Zembo Shrine in Harrisburg. Please contact the YWCA for more details.

Here at MRL, we also have a consistently updated and well-managed community board that has rotating flyers and brochures of free resources available locally. Whether you’re looking for assistance for yourself or someone you know, The Library can help you find information and connect with organizations that serve our community.

To all our veterans returning home in need of support: thank you for serving us, now let The Library serve you!

By: Dwana Pinchock, Marketing & Public Relations Manager 

Award-winning author and illustrator Matt Phelan wants young readers to know something important. You don’t have to be a great artist to start drawing, and you don’t have to be a great writer to start telling stories. In fact, making mistakes is part of the creative process.

When Phelan visits the Dauphin County Library System (DCLS) for Children’s Book Week on Saturday, Nov. 14, he’ll share more than the stories behind his books. He’ll give young readers a glimpse into the sometimes messy, often surprising process of turning an idea into a finished work.

A Childhood Filled With Creativity

Growing up in a creative household, he remembers drawing Snoopy over and over again. His mother enjoyed painting, his father was interested in filmmaking, and his brother was a musician.

Although he loved drawing and inventing stories, the young artist didn’t initially imagine becoming a professional author or illustrator.

His interest in children’s books developed over time, influenced by authors and illustrators such as Ezra Jack Keats and Chris Van Allsburg. While working in a bookstore after college, he began to recognize picture books as an exciting artistic medium.

Today, Phelan is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator whose work includes picture books, middle grade novels and graphic novels.

His latest picture book, Bartleby, was inspired by Herman Melville’s classic short story, Bartleby, the Scrivener. He imagined a child who, rather than simply saying no, responds to requests with the memorable phrase, “I prefer not to.”

For the author, inspiration can come from almost anywhere, including literature, history and his personal interests.

The Importance of Not Being Perfect

One of his most memorable encounters with a young reader occurred during a school visit to discuss his graphic novel Bluffton.

In the story, a young boy becomes fascinated with entertainer Buster Keaton and attempts to develop his own talent for juggling. His performance at a local talent show ends in spectacular failure.

During the presentation, a student raised his hand to say how much he appreciated that the character never became particularly good at juggling.

The observation delighted Phelan.

The student had recognized something central to the story. Not everyone needs to become a superstar at everything they attempt.

The author believes children sometimes abandon creative interests when they begin comparing their work with others or expecting immediate perfection.

He encourages young artists and writers to enjoy the process of learning, experimenting and improving rather than worrying about whether their work is good enough.

“You don’t have to worry about a career or publishing or anything like that,” he said. “Just enjoy the act of creativity, drawing, making up stories.”

His advice is simple. Keep drawing. Keep writing. Start with a short story rather than a novel. Share your work when you’re ready.

A Lifelong Library Kid

Libraries have played an important role in his life since childhood.

He fondly remembers the cozy children’s department at Sellers Library in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, where books and imagination were always within reach.

As his career developed, Phelan discovered another side of libraries through his relationships with librarians and the publishing community.

Those connections strengthened his appreciation for the people who introduce young readers to books and encourage their curiosity.

During his Children’s Book Week appearances, he hopes to offer that same encouragement to aspiring young authors and illustrators.

He plans to share early sketches, unfinished artwork, and examples of the revisions that eventually become the illustrations readers see in his books.

“I like to kind of pull back the curtain and show the process of how these books really come together,” he said.

By revealing the work behind the finished pages, he hopes children will understand that authors and illustrators aren’t necessarily people with extraordinary natural gifts. They’re people who develop their skills through practice, persistence, and creativity.

His message to young readers is reassuring. Even an award-winning author and illustrator doesn’t always get things perfect right out of the gate.

“I don’t get it right the first time either,” he said.

Meet Matt Phelan During Children’s Book Week

Join Matt Phelan for a free, one-hour program on Saturday, Nov. 14, at either of these DCLS locations.

10:15 a.m.
George & Hettie Love Memorial Library
530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg

12:30 p.m.
Northern Dauphin Library
683 Main St., Lykens

Every family attending will receive a free signed copy of a book to keep!

Registration is required, and space is limited.

For more information or to register, visit dcls.org/CBW.

By: Ann Marie Megoulas, Information Services Supervisor

According to the Alzheimer’s Association (as stated in this video), over seven million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. Unfortunately, this number is expected to continue to rise as our population continues to age. According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of residents age 65 and over will increase from 65 million in 2026 to about 82 million by 2050¹, making finding strategies for providing care and service increasingly important.

In 2018, recognizing this need, The Library began to research dementia-related programs and service models, looking for ones that could be incorporated into what we regularly do. We discovered TimeSlips^™ and began the process of bringing TimeSlips programming to area memory care centers. We found that the storytelling aspect of TimeSlips tied in nicely with the other types of programs that The Library was offering.

What is TimeSlips™? TimeSlips™ is an award-winning, evidence-based, creative storytelling program used in dementia care. In 1998, Anne Basting (founder of TimeSlips™) began work to reshape how organizations approach dementia care and aging. Wanting to demonstrate that creativity could be used as a powerful tool for preserving connection, dignity, and participation, she developed the TimeSlips model of creative engagement. She began to train, support, and inspire caregivers in using her technique. Since its creation, the TimeSlips organization has built a worldwide community of certified facilitators who bring “joy to elders and their care partners by infusing creativity and meaning-making into care relationships and systems.” If you would like to learn more, visit https://www.timeslips.org/about/.

For the past nine years, The Library has been part of this network and has been making regular visits to care centers like Homeland Center in Harrisburg and the Northern Dauphin Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Millersburg, PA.

In 2020, when the world shut down for a time due to Covid-19, The Library continued to provide care centers with TimeSlips activities that they could use to continue to offer opportunities for creative engagement until we were permitted to visit again.

We also added two TimeSlips™ Creative Care Imagination Kits to The Library’s circulating collection.

These kits contain story prompt cards, beautiful question cards, and instructions on how to use the TimeSlips™ technique to bring joy and creativity to elders with physical, cognitive, or emotional challenges.

So, if you have been struggling to interact with a family member or friend suffering from dementia, check out this kit and give it a try. The TimeSlips™ technique has been shown to lead to increased positive emotional expression, increased communication skills, and greater alertness and engagement.

As one of the certified TimeSlips facilitators for The Library, I can verify that this technique is indeed effective in promoting creativity, engagement, and fun. Often when communicating with an elder who is experiencing memory or cognitive issues, we focus on what is missing or lost. Emotionally, we mourn for who that person used to be and what they forgot. With the TimeSlips technique, the focus on memory is removed from the equation, and creativity is used to effectively spark engagement and communication. Participants are encouraged to contribute to the creation of a story about a prompt, often a photograph. All responses are valued and recorded. To give you an idea of the types of responses and the creativity that occurs, I have shared an image of one prompt that we used and the story that it inspired below.

No matter how active or communicative the storytellers we visit are, I always leave a TimeSlips program feeling uplifted. It is evident from their reactions that they enjoy taking part, and I have witnessed instances when people who were believed to be noncommunicative actively contribute to a story’s creation. As we age, our ability to recall facts may wane, but our creativity and need for social interaction do not.

Through programs like TimeSlips, The Library helps older adults remain connected, creative, and engaged. As Dauphin County’s population ages, programs that encourage meaningful interaction will become increasingly important. TimeSlips reminds us that even when memories fade, imagination and the need for human connection remain.

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A little imagination goes a long way! During a TimeSlips session at Homeland Center, participants used this photograph to create a story about a very patient dog with a superhero alter ego. Here’s what they imagined together.

Super Dog: The Patient Dog

The dog needed a bath. Maybe he got into something he wasn’t supposed to… but we can all agree dogs get dirty pretty quick. The dog takes a bath like we take a bath because he is always dirty. His owner dries him off after his bath and puts the towel around him like a cape. He is Super Dog! You have to consider the cape! The dog has a collar with a red tag. The dog is looking sharp! His owner wants to snap a picture of him to enter in a contest. He wants to show people just how beautiful his dog is. You might hear whining from the dog because his owner is making him stay in place. The dog is very patient, but he is wondering what is ahead for him. All he wants to do is go play outside. He is thinking to himself, “Stay away from me!” After his owner snaps a photo, the dog finally has his chance to start playing.

Homeland Center 2/28/2019

 

1 Alzheimer’s Association. 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Alzheimers Dement 2026;22. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71345 .