PITTSTON — The Pittston Memorial Library kicked off its holiday season with an Old Fashioned Christmas Open House last weekend during the city’s Small Business Saturday.
Librarian Noelle Kozak and other staff members spent the day welcoming library patrons, providing them with information about items available for sale, upcoming activities and the event’s craft.
Kozak, who celebrated her birthday this past week, needed to convince one library patron that Noelle was really her name.
“During the craft, someone asked me if Noelle was really my name,” she said.
Kozak thinks her first name made her a perfect host for the event.
“I thought about wearing my Santa hat,” she said, laughing.
During Saturday’s small business event, the library offered special reasonably priced gifts for teachers, a discount on used books, and the special craft.
The craft, consistent with the “old fashioned” theme of the event, simply used circular cutouts from Christmas cards for beautiful colorful ornaments.
The ornaments were of the kind that might have been made during the depression or during World War II, Kozak said.
The ongoing book sale provides an opportunity for avid readers to obtain relatively new releases as well as classics for a small percent of what they would pay in a bookstore.
The library’s book room is set up by author’s names, so favorites are easy to find.
Also set up at the library are Christmas-themed books for borrowing for all ages and genre preferences.
Kozak is more than happy to share her Christmas favorites with patrons, which include “A Christmas Carol,” “Let it Snow” and “My True Love Gave to Me.”
With the arrival of snow and the plummeting of temperatures, Kozak said many patrons are more likely to choose a cozy mystery or another cold-weather related book.
The library’s e-book and audio collection is also full of Christmas offerings, from Debbie Macomber’s family-themed novels to James Patterson’s books which interweave crime into Christmas.
The library will offer a month full of special story times, crafts and activities to celebrate the holiday season.
