Hello to all,

I am new to this message board and wanted to reach out for some input from gardening enthusiasts in the Hudson Valley. I work for the Mid-Hudson Library System in the beautiful mid-Hudson Valley (Poughkeepsie, NY). We are an organization that supports public libraries in five counties (Dutchess, Columbia, Greene, Putnam, and Ulster). Some of our libraries are interested in doing more for the gardening community. I would love your feedback on what types of things would be of interest.

Some general thoughts I have at this point include:

-Offering some gardening courses at selected libraries

-Helping gardening clubs recruit new members via library marketing channels

-Promoting gardening books & magazines available through area libraries to gardening groups

-Offering sections in front of the library for gardeners to garden for the community to enjoy

-Creating a "Gardener's Corner" on library webpages with selected websites of interest.

I'm also interested in knowing what clubs, websites or online groups you would recommend to gather additional ideas/input.

I would love to speak with you and hear any ideas you have on how to better serve gardening enthusiasts in the Hudson Valley through area public libraries. You can reach me at 845-471-6060 ext. 49 or klw162005@yahoo.com

Thanks for your thoughts.

Kirstin