On the Book Front:

Exciting projects & programs
coming up this summer

The following column was written by Karin Thomas, Director of the Dutton S. Peterson Memorial Library, located at 106 First St. in Odessa.

We have some very exciting projects and programs coming to your community this summer!

Make history at your library! In keeping with the spirit of America 250, the Southern Tier Library System has launched “Messages from Our Orbit: STLS Community Time Capsules.” The Dutton S. Peterson Memorial Library invites community members to celebrate the past, present, and future of Odessa and the surrounding areas by contributing to our very own time capsule, which will be opened in 50 years.

Writing and drawing prompts are now available at the library and will also be available at Odessa Community Day and the Community Pot-Luck Picnic. Submissions of drawings, letters, and photographs will be collected through August 31, 2026.

New to the library this year is our Pollinator Garden! Thanks to funding from the Sustainable Finger Lakes Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program, plants such as butterfly bush, milkweed, lavender, columbine, coneflowers, cardinal flower, phlox, bee balm, and day lilies have been added to the garden beds surrounding the library building and art murals in hopes of attracting diverse native pollinators to our space. These helpful visitors include honeybees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, beetles, and many other beneficial insects.

This garden would not have been possible without the experience and education provided by Master Gardeners Shawn Tubridy, Debbie Ball, and Cheryl Larson of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County. A garden party will be held this fall, so stay tuned for more information!

As mentioned earlier, many library activities will be available during Odessa Community Day on July 25 from 12:00-5:00 p.m. Face painting, beading station, cornhole, library book sale, and the Community Time Capsule project will be available for all ages to enjoy. The library will also be open during the event, so stop in and cool off!

On August 30 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Village of Odessa Community Room, we will host the 2nd Annual Community Pot-Luck Picnic and Pie Bake-Off. Community members are encouraged to bring a dish to share while enjoying music by Nothin’ Special. To register for the Pie Bake-Off, call 607-594-2791 or email petersonlibrary@stls.org.