Summer Fun at the Library

Summer Reading 

We had a great time during this year’s Summer Reading program and want to thank all of the sponsors who helped make it possible. Without your help funding special events, such as the visit from the Lee Richardson Zoomobile, Mad Science, and Dan Dan the Magic Man, and without your help with Summer Reading prizes, this year’s Summer Reading program could not have been the success that it was.

Summer Lunch Program

Summer Reading may be over but the Summer Lunch program is still continuing until July 27th. USD 480 Nutrition Services is providing free grab-and-go lunches to any child from 1 to 18 years old. The program runs Monday through Thursday and does not require special identification or registration. Limit one meal per child per day.

Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Pick-up Locations:  Liberal Memorial Library, Recreation Center (950 S. Grant Avenue), Blue Bonnet Park (1101 W. 8th Street), Light Park (1100 N. Kansas Ave.) and Mary Frame Park (200-298 E. Pancake Blvd)

For more information contact Connie Vogts @ 620-604-2230 or connie.vogts@usd480.net

Teen Otaku Club

Do you love anime and manga and are in middle or high school? Then come to our Teen Otaku Club meeting.

On Wednesday, July 19th at 5 pm we will watch & discuss the anime “Sweetness & Lightning”.

Sign up in advance to get a free sticker at the meeting! Join us for your chance at an anime door prize, snacks, a craft/activity and fun anime/manga discussion.

Bee Jay Storytime

Two of the Liberal Bee Jays will visit the library for a special storytime on July 20th at 4 pm. We will read a couple books, make a craft, and do a meet and greet with the Liberal Bee Jays.

Regular Storytimes – 

  • Monday evenings at 5:30 pm
  • Wednesdays at 10:00 am 
  • Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
  • Facebook Storytimes in English and Spanish

Books, Coffee & Donuts

On Wednesday, August 2nd starting at 9 am, come to the library to chat with our staff over coffee and donuts about new releases and new events happening that month.

Mahjong

Do you love to play Mahjong? Are you interested in learning a new game to play with family and friends? Every Friday at 1 pm, we will get together for a fun game of Mahjong here at the library. Learn the rules of this traditional Chinese game and play some Mahjong.  No experience necessary. For adults only. Signup is required.  

Library and Lunch

On Tuesday, August 8th​ at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “Remarkably bright creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.

Summer Book Display

Come in and check out our Summer themed book display. Here are a few of the books on display available for checkout.

The Summer List
by Amy Mason Doan

Laura and Casey were once inseparable…

Coming of age in California, Laura felt connected to her best friend in every way. Until one summer night, when a shocking betrayal sent Laura running through the pines, down the dock, and into a new life, leaving Casey and a first love in her wake.

But the past is impossible to escape, and now, after seventeen years away, Laura is pulled home and into a reunion with Casey she can’t resist—one last scavenger hunt. But just as the game brings Laura and Casey back together, the clues unravel a stunning secret that threatens to tear them apart…

Mesmerizing and unforgettable, Amy Mason Doan’s The Summer List is about losing and recapturing the person who understands you best—and the unbreakable bonds of girlhood.

Invincible Summer
by Alice Adams

Four friends. Twenty years. One unexpected journey.

Eva, Benedict, Sylvie, and Lucien graduate in 1997, into an exhilarating world on the brink of the new millennium. But as their dizzying twenties evaporate into their thirties, the once close-knit friends, now scattered and struggling to navigate thwarted dreams, lost jobs, and broken hearts, find themselves drawn together once again in stunning and unexpected ways.

A dazzling depiction of the highs and lows of adulthood, Invincible Summer is a story about finding the courage to carry on in the wake of disappointment and a powerful testament to love and friendship as the constants in an ever-changing world.

Summerlong
by Dean Bakopoulos

From the author of Please Don’t Come Back from the Moon and My American Unhappiness, a deft and hilarious exploration of the simmering tensions beneath the surface of a contented marriage which explode in the bedrooms and backyards of a small town over the course of a long, hot summer.

Claire, Don, and their neighbors and friends find themselves on an existential odyssey, exploring the most puzzling quandaries of marriage and maturity. 

Award-winning writer Dean Bakopoulos delivers a brutally honest and incredibly funny novel about the strange and tenuous ties that bind us, and the strange and unlikely places we find connection. Full of mirth, melancholy, and redemption, Summerlong explores what happens when life goes awry.

Black History Month at the Library

Events

  • Storytimes We have Storytime sessions on Wednesdays at 10 am, Monday evenings at 5:30 pm, and now we have brand new Saturday Storytime sessions at 11 am for Storytime in English and 11:30 for Storytime in Spanish.
Saturday Storytime

  • Facebook Storytimes – Tuesdays at 11 am for Storytime in Spanish and Thursdays at 11 am for Storytime in English.

    Visit the library’s Facebook page every week for a new Storytime recording.  https://www.facebook.com/lmlibrary

  • Closed for Presidents’ Day – The Library will be closed on Monday, February 21st for Presidents’ Day.  We will reopen on Tuesday for our regular hours.

  • Mardi Gras Bunco – Thursday, February 24th at 2 pm

    Adults, come to our Mardi Gras themed Bunco Party! We will have masks, beads and prizes! Seating is limited. Sign up on our website or call 626-0180. (Snacks will be served)
2022 Mardi Gras Bunco

  • Encanto Party – Feb. 24th at 4 pm

    On Thursday, Feb. 24th at 4 pm, come to the library and celebrate with the Family Madrigal! We will have Encanto themed photo ops, a craft, popcorn, and lemonade while we watch the movie.

  • Pokemon Day – Monday, Feb. 28th

    Stop by for a Pokémon themed grab and go activity pack and join in on a Pokémon scavenger hunt to be entered to win a prize!

    Packs will be available at the library starting Friday, Feb. 25th. The scavenger hunt must be returned to the library by 8 pm Monday, Feb. 28th to be eligible for the prize drawing. All ages are welcome to participate!
Pokemon Day 2022

Black History Month Display

2022 Black History Alcove

Come in to see the Black History Month alcove display put together by one of our library patrons. While you’re here, stop by our display of books by African American Authors. Here are just a few:

You can also find these books listed on our catalog http://catalog.lmlibrary.org

Black Bottom Saints

Black Bottom Saints: A Novel
by Alice Randall

For decades, Joseph “Ziggy” Johnson, the founder and dean of the Ziggy Johnson School of the Theatre, has been the pulse of Detroit’s famous Black Bottom. A celebrated gossip columnist for the city’s African-American newspaper, the Michigan Chronicle, he is also the emcee of one of the hottest night clubs, where he’s rubbed elbows with the legendary black artists of the era, including Della Reese,  Billy Eckstein, and Nat “King” Cole. 

As he lays dying, Ziggy reflects on his life, the community that was the center of his world, and the remarkable people who helped shape it.

Inspired by the Catholic Saints Day Books, Ziggy curates his own list of Black Bottom’s venerable “Saints.” 

Accompanying these “tributes” are thoughtfully paired cocktails that capture the essence of each of Ziggy’s saints―libations as strong and satisfying as Alice Randall’s wholly original view of a place and time unlike any other.

And Sometimes I Wonder About You

And Sometimes I Wonder About You 

by Walter Mosley

In the fifth Leonid McGill novel, Leonid finds himself in an unusual pickle of trying to balance his cases with his chaotic personal life. Leonid’s father is still out there somewhere, and his wife is in an uptown sanitarium. 

Meanwhile, Leonid is approached by an unemployed office manager named Hiram Stent to track down the whereabouts of his cousin, Celia, who is about to inherit millions of dollars from her father’s side of the family. Leonid declines the case, but after his office is broken into and Hiram is found dead, he gets reeled into the underbelly of Celia’s wealthy old-money family. It’s up to Leonid to save who he can and incriminate the guilty.

Black Deutschland

Black Deutschland: A Novel
by Darryl Pinckney

Jed―young, gay, black, out of rehab and out of prospects in his hometown of Chicago―flees to the city of his fantasies, a museum of modernism and decadence: Berlin. The paradise that tyranny created, is where he’s chosen to become the figure that he so admires, the black American expatriate. Newly sober Jed arrives to chase boys and to escape from what it means to be a black male in America.

But history, both personal and political, can’t be avoided with time or distance. Whether it’s the judgment of the cousin he grew up with and her husband’s bourgeois German family, the lure of white wine in a down-and-out bar, a gang of racists looking for a brawl, the past never stays past even in faraway Berlin. In the age of Reagan and AIDS in a city on the verge of tearing down its walls, he clambers toward some semblance of adulthood amid the outcasts and expats, intellectuals and artists, queers and misfits.

Pick up something new at the Library

Library Pick-up Service

Although the Library building is currently closed to the public, you can still checkout using the Library pick-up service.

How it works
Log in to catalog.lmlibrary.org to find items you want to checkout. Use your library card number and password to log in. If you don’t know your library card number or password or are having trouble logging in, call 620-626-0180 or email circdesk@lmlibrary.org and a staff member will be happy to help. 

Once you are logged in, you can search for and place holds on items you want. You can check out up to 15 items total. Four of the fifteen items can be DVDs. If you need help getting started searching you can call the library and a staff member will help you or you can visit our online catalog help page, https://lmlibrary.org/how-do-i/catalog-help/, for instructions.

Schedule your appointment
Once you have placed your holds, a staff member will pull the items that you placed on hold and get them ready for pick up. They will then call you and set up a convenient time for you to pick them up.

When you pick up your items – stay in your car, park in the parking lot near the front doors, and call the library to let us know that you’ve arrived. There will be a sign with the library phone number and instructions next to a table by the front doors. 

A staff member will bring out your items and set them on the table.  Please retrieve your items once the staff member has gone back inside.  Let us know ahead of time if you need special arrangements due to physical limitations. 

Returning Library Items
We ask that all returning items be put in the alleyway book drop. 

You may notice that items are still on your account after you’ve returned them. We are placing the items in isolation for one week before returning them to the library shelves. Don’t worry, no fines will be accrued while the items are in quarantine.

Book Bundles

Want something new to read or watch but just don’t know what? Fill out a request form lmlibrary.org/book-bundle and we will pick something for you! Tell us what sort of books or DVDs you want. If you aren’t satisfied with the items we picked, you can return them to the alleyway book drop and place a new request.

Online Library Programs

Teen Kahoot Trivia – Star Wars
As part of Teen Summer Reading, we are offering a different virtual Kahoot Trivia challenge each week. Monday is the first day of a week-long Star Wars Kahoot Trivia contest. Test your Star Wars knowledge and earn an activity badge for Teen Summer Reading. Log in to lmlibrary.beanstack.org to get the trivia contest link, or sign up for Summer Reading if you haven’t already.

Virtual Recipe Swap
Friday is the last day to participate in our Virtual Recipe Swap. Send us a picture of your dish along with the recipe to activities@lmlibrary.org and include ‘Recipe Swap’ in the subject line of your email.

Every month we have a different Recipe Swap theme. This month’s theme is “Summer BBQ”. And if you have any suggestions for future Recipe Swap themes please let us know.

Once you’ve emailed your recipe, you can log in to lmlibrary.beanstack.org to claim your Virtual Recipe Swap activity badge or sign up for Summer Reading if you haven’t already.

Facebook Live storytimes
Follow our Facebook Live storytimes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 4 pm in english and Tuesday and Thursdays at 4 pm in spanish. Catch them live or watch the recordings later.

Online Library and Lunch

On Tuesday, July 14th at Noon, our book club will meet online to discuss “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Extended Free Wi-Fi

For those who don’t have internet access at home, the Liberal Memorial Library parking lot is a great place to access free Wi-Fi from the safety of your car. We’ve extended our free Wi-Fi to well beyond the parking lot. Now you can park anywhere around the library building and get free internet with a strong Wi-Fi signal.

What’s happening at the Library

Happy Thanksgiving

Events This Week

  • Tuesday at 11 am Preschool Storytime  – We’ll have stories, songs, crafts, and more! Plus, every child gets a free book to take home at every storytime.
  • Wednesday at 11 am Lapsit Storytime – Storytimes for newborns to 2 year olds. We’ll have stories, songs, and rhymes. Also, every child gets a free book to take home!
  • Wednesday at 2 pm Spinning Yarns group – Hang out with other adults who share your interest in crochet, knitting, or other needlework. Bring your own materials. All are welcome.

  • Thursday at 5:30 pm Storytime – Evening Storytime is open to all ages. We’ll have stories, songs, crafts, and more! Plus, every child gets a free book to take home at every storytime.

  • Thursday at 6 pm Movie Time – Watch a new live-action adaptation of a popular Nickelodeon television series. Teenage Dora leads her friends on an adventure to save her parents and solve the mystery behind a lost city of gold. We’ll provide popcorn and drinks or you can bring your own drinks.

More Events

food for fines

Food for Fines

Donate canned vegetables, any nonperishable food items, new toiletries (toothpaste, soap, toilet paper, etc.), or socks to the library and we will waive your overdue fines! All donated items will be given to local charities. (No expired or used donations, please.) From now until the end of the year, donate to a worthy cause and get your overdue fines forgiven.

This works for overdue fines only, fines for lost or damaged items will not be waived.

Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

The library will close at 1 pm on Wednesday the 27th and will be closed on Thursday the 28th and Friday the 29th. We will reopen for normal hours on Saturday the 30th from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Beginner’s 3D Printing Workshop

Do you have questions about 3D printing? Come to our beginner’s workshop to learn how to use the library’s 3D printer.

On Monday, December 2nd at 6 p.m., we will walk through the process of finding a print-ready file online that you can print as is or alter to fit your needs. The workshop is held every 1st Monday of the month at 6 p.m. All ages welcome. Signup online (http://lmlibrary.org) or at the front desk.

Spinning Yarns

On Wednesday, December 4th from 2 to 4 pm – join our Spinning Yarns group and spend time with other adults who share your interest in crochet, knitting, or other needlework! Bring your own materials and work on your ongoing projects. Beginners to experts, are all welcome.

Library and Lunch book discussion

In December we will discuss “Mr. Dickens and His Carol” by Samantha Silva. We’ll meet on Tuesday, December 10th ​at 12 p.m. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.

New Year’s resolutions at the Library

   image of Supr Bowl snacksEvents This Week

  • Monday Closed – The Library will be closed on Monday, January 21st for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will reopen on Tuesday for our regular hours.
  • Tuesday at 11 am Storytime – Stories, songs, crafts, and more! Plus, every child gets a free book to take home at every storytime. Story times are open to children of all ages.
  • Wednesday at 11 am Lapsit Storytime – Special storytime for children ages 0-2. Come listen to stories, sing songs, and develop key literacy skills. Also, every child gets a FREE book to take home!
  • Thursday at 5:30 pm Storytime – If you can’t make it to the morning storytime on Tuesday, you can come to the evening Thursday one instead. For children of all ages.
  • Saturday at 1:30 pm Sing-Along Party – Feel free to dress up as your favorite “Frozen” character for our Sing-Along party. Make a fun craft and enjoy some free popcorn while watching the movie and sing your heart out!!

More Events

Recipe Swap

On Tuesday, January 29th at 6:30 p.m., join us for Recipe Swap and share your favorite recipe with fellow patrons who share your passion — cooking! Every month is a different theme! This month’s theme is “Super Bowl Snacks”.

Movie Time

On Saturday, February 2nd at 3 pm, celebrate Groundhog Day with us by watching the classic comedy movie starring Bill Murray.

On Thursday, February 14th at 6 pm, celebrate Valentine’s Day with us by watching a 2004 romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider. Free popcorn and water are available and feel free to bring your own soda if you’d like!

Library and Lunch Book Club

In February, we will discuss “Small Blessings” by Martha Woodroof. We’ll meet on Tuesday, February 12th at 12 p.m. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.

Coffee Lounge Area
Check out our new coffee lounge at the Library. Enjoy a free cup of coffee while sitting in one of our new chairs and chatting with friends or just watching the weather channel. This month Space Station Secure Storage was kind enough to sponsor the free coffee. If you or your local business would like to act as sponsor for a month, contact the Library Director, Royce Kitts via email at director@lmlibary.org or by phone at 620-626-0180.

New Year’s Resolutions

If you are working on a New Year’s resolution, this month’s book display might give you the boost you’re looking for.

book image "the power of a positive no"The Power of a Positive No: How to Say No and Still Get to Yes
by William Ury

From the book description
No is perhaps the most important and certainly the most powerful word in the language. Every day we find ourselves in situations where we need to say No–to people at work, at home, and in our communities–because No is the word we must use to protect ourselves and to stand up for everything and everyone that matters to us.

But as we all know, the wrong No can also destroy what we most value by alienating and angering people. The secret to saying No without destroying relationships lies in the art of the Positive No, a technique that anyone can learn.

This book gives you a three-step method for saying a Positive No. In the end, the Positive No will help you get not just to any Yes but to the right Yes, the one that truly serves your interests.

book image "Waste free kitchen handbook"Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money
By Wasting Less Food by Dana Gunders

Despite a growing awareness of food waste, many well-intentioned home cooks lack the tools to change their habits. This handbook–packed with engaging checklists, simple recipes, practical strategies, and educational infographics–is the ultimate tool for reducing food waste.

From a scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council come these everyday techniques that call for minimal adjustments of habit, from shopping, portioning, and using a refrigerator properly to simple preservation methods including freezing, pickling, and cellaring. At once a good read and a go-to reference, this handy guide is chock-full of helpful facts and tips, including 20 “use-it-up” recipes and a substantial directory of common foods.

book image "The Lucky Years"The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health
by David B. Agus M.D.

In his first bestseller, The End of Illness, David Agus revealed how to add vibrant years to your life by knowing the real facts of health. In this book, he builds on that theme by showing why this is the luckiest time yet to be alive, giving you the keys to the new kingdom of wellness.

In this new golden age, you’ll be able to take full advantage of the latest scientific findings and leverage the power of technology to customize your care. Imagine being able to get fit and lose weight without dieting, train your immune system to fight cancer, edit your DNA to avoid a certain fate, erase the risk of a heart attack, reverse aging, and know exactly which drugs to take to optimize health with zero side effects.

December Events at the Library

   Ugly sweater imageEvents This Week

  • Tuesday at 11 am Storytime – Stories, songs, crafts, and more! Plus, every child gets a free book to take home at every storytime. Story times are open to children of all ages.
  • Tuesday at Noon Ugly Christmas Sweater Party – Wear an ugly Christmas sweater for this fun party for adults! Participate in a White Elephant gift exchange, play games, and eat snacks. Adults only. Seating is limited. Sign up online or at the front desk.
  • Thursday at 5:30 pm Storytime – If you can’t make it to the morning storytime on Tuesday, you can come to the evening Thursday one instead.
  • Saturday at 3 pm Movie – Vote ahead of time for which holiday movie you want us to show. Vote in person at the Library or on Facebook. Free popcorn! Feel free to bring your own soda and even a pillow, blanket, or chair to be comfortable!

Holiday closed days

The Library will be closed Monday, December 24th through Wednesday, December 26th for the holiday. We will reopen for normal hours on Thursday, 27th – 9:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m

We will close early at 1 pm for New Year’s Eve on Monday December 31st and be closed on New Year’s Day, Tuesday, January 1st. We will reopen for normal hours on Wednesday, 2nd – 9:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m.

Holiday Fiction

"Christmas cake murder" book imageChristmas Cake Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery)
by Joanne Fluke

From the book description
It’s Christmas many years ago, and topping young Hannah Swensen’s wish list is becoming the go-to baker in Lake Eden, Minnesota. But as Hannah finds out, revisiting holiday memories can be murder . . .

With her dream of opening The Cookie Jar taking shape, Hannah’s life matches the hectic December hustle and bustle in Lake Eden—especially when she agrees to help recreate a spectacular Christmas Ball from the past in honor of Essie Granger, an elderly local in hospice care. But instead of poring over decadent dessert recipes for the merry festivities, she instantly becomes enthralled by Essie’s old notebooks and the tale of a woman escaping danger on the streets of New York.

Hannah’s surprised by Essie’s secret talent for penning crime fiction. She’s even more surprised when the story turns real. As Hannah prepares to run a bakery and move out of her mother’s house, it’ll be a true miracle if she can prevent another Yuletide disaster by solving a mystery as dense as a Christmas fruitcake . . .

Noel DiaryThe Noel Diary
by Richard Paul Evans

From the book description
Romance author Jacob Churcher hasn’t been home for almost twenty years—not since his mentally ill mother kicked him out of the house when he was just sixteen. When a lawyer calls, days before Christmas, to inform him that his estranged mother has passed away and left her house to him, Jacob returns not just to settle the estate but to try and reconcile with the past and the pain and abuse he experienced as a child.

But as it turns out, the house holds more than just difficult memories. Jacob uncovers many puzzling items including a diary left by someone named Noel, who stayed with Jacob’s family during her pregnancy and Jacob has an unexpected visitor, Rachel, a woman looking for the mother who put her up for adoption thirty years before.

United by their quest to make sense of the past and rewrite their futures, Jacob and Rachel begin a search for Noel. Along the way they find more than they possibly imagined, including grace, forgiveness and a chance at love.

Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners
by Gretchen Anthony

From the book description
A formidable matriarch learns the hard way that no family is perfect in this witty, sparkling debut novel.

Dearest loved ones, far and near—evergreen tidings from the Baumgartners!

Violet Baumgartner has opened her annual holiday letter the same way for the past three decades. And this year she’s going to throw her husband, Ed, a truly perfect retirement party, one worthy of memorializing in her upcoming letter. But the event becomes a disaster when, in front of two hundred guests, Violet learns her daughter Cerise has been keeping a shocking secret from her, shattering Violet’s carefully constructed world.

In an epic battle of wills, Violet goes to increasing lengths to wrest back control of her family, infuriating Cerise and snaring their family and friends in  very un-Midwestern, un-Baumgartner  dramatics. And there will be no explaining away the consequences in this year’s Baumgartner holiday letter…

 

Full of humor, emotion and surprises at every turn, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners brings to life a remarkable cast of quirky, deeply human characters who must learn to adapt to the unconventional, or else risk losing one another. This is the story of a family falling to pieces—and the unexpected way they put it all back together.

Celebrate Tolkien week at the Library

Tolkien week image

Events This Week

  • Monday all day Scavenger Hunt – We are kicking off Tolkien week with an all day scavenger hunt in the library. Ask the front desk for the scavenger hunt riddle list. Once you complete the entire list you may win a 3D printed Tolkien themed prize!
  • Tuesday at 11 am Storytime – Stories, songs, crafts, and more! Plus, every child gets a free book to take home at every storytime. Story times are open to children of all ages.
  • Tuesday at 5 pm Sword/Shield Decorating – On day 2 of Tolkien week, celebrate by decorating your own cardboard shield and/or sword. All supplies will be provided. This event is open to all ages!
  • Wednesday all day Trivia – On day 3 of Tolkien Week will have an all day “The Hobbit” specific trivia contest. Trivia pages will be available at the circulation desk just come by and ask! Prizes will be awarded for different grade groups!
  • image of Library Fundraiser Night at McDonaldsWednesday from 4 pm to 7pm Library Fundraiser at McDonalds – The McDonalds on 24 East Pancake is having a fundraiser for the library. They will donate 20% of all sales made on this Wednesday between 4 pm and 7 pm to the library! So if you’re eating out on Wednesday, swing by the McDonalds on East Pancake.
  • Thursday at 2 pm Game Day for Adults – Play Mexican Train Dominoes, Spoons, or the card game “5 Crowns.” For adults only.
  • Thursday at 5 pm Baggins Bingo – On day 4 of Tolkien Week play “Baggins Bingo”! Each of the squares has a familiar face or location in Tolkien’s stories. Open to all ages and 3D printed Tolkien themed prizes will be available for the winner!
  • Thursday at 5:30 pm Storytime – If you can’t make it to the morning storytime on Tuesday, you can come to the evening Thursday one instead.
  • Friday Activity Sheets – On day 5 of Tolkien Week have fun with themed cross words, word searches and coloring pages!
  • Saturday at Noon Movie – celebrate Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday with us with a viewing of the movie along with other fun activities and snacks. We will be finding out our names in Dwarven Runes and pin the ring on Frodo and Bilbo.

More Events

  • Tuesday, September 25th at 6:30 pm Recipe Swap – Bring something you’ve made (along with the recipe) to share and enjoy everyone else’s creations! Every month is a different theme! This month’s theme is “International Recipes”.
  • Tuesday, October 9th at Noon Library and Lunch book discussion – In October we will discuss “Rebecca” by Daphne Du Maurier. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.

Hobbit Day

image of the ring from the Lord of the RingsHobbit Day is observed annually on September 22nd. It is the birthday of the hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, two fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien’s popular set of books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In the books both Bilbo and Frodo were said to be born on September 22, but of different years. Bilbo was born in the year of 2890 and Frodo in the year of 2968 in the Third Age (1290 and 1368 respectively in Shire-Reckoning.)

The American Tolkien Society first proclaimed Hobbit Day and Tolkien Week in 1978, and defines them as this: “Tolkien Week is observed as the calendar week containing September 22, which is always observed as Hobbit Day”, but acknowledges that Hobbit Day pre-dates their designation.

You can check out The Hobbit and other Tolkien books at the Library.

Back To School

It’s almost time for kids to head back to school. For students, fall is a time of anticipation and excitement, as they gain a new teacher, new school supplies, new clothes, new classmates, new rules, and some even head to a new school. I thought I would tell you about a few good children’s books about school from our collection:

 

book image dinosaur vs school

Dinosaur vs. School by Bob Shea (picture book)

Dinosaur is starting preschool today. ROAR! There are new friends to meet, dress-up outfits to wear, glitter and googly eyes to paste, musical instruments to play, and snacks to eat. What’s not to like? But then, oh, no! It’s Dinosaur vs. Clean-up Time! Fortunately, when friends work together, EVERYONE WINS!

The Little School Bus by Margery Cuyler (picture book): Join Driver Bob the school bus driver and his little school bus as they wake early, pick up the children, and drop them off at school. Then it’s off to the garage to fix a tail light. All in a day’s work for this trusty team. The lyrical text, catchy rhyme, and bright pictures make this a perfect choice for preschoolers who are soon to be school bus riders!

Monster School: First Day Frights by David Keane (easy reader): Norm is perfectly normal. That is, until he finds himself at a new school full of monsters. Without fangs, horns, or a tail, suddenly Norm has become the odd one out. But as the day goes on, Norm’s unusual classmates find that Norm isn’t too unlike them after all, and Norm thinks he may actually fit right in.

Bad Kitty: School Daze by Nick Bruel (illustrated chapter book): Kitty and Puppy are out of control! They’re screaming, fighting, hissing, and drooling all over the house, and all of the commotion is upsetting Baby. Time for school—obedience school, that is. Can Kitty learn to follow the rules and make friends with the other students or will she bring chaos to the classroom? Find out in Bad Kitty’s hilarious, new (mis)adventure!

image of a sandwichPlus, don’t miss our fun events! Here’s what’s going on at the library for the rest of August:

  • We have Storytime twice a week: Tuesdays at 11 am and Thursdays at 5:30 pm. Join us for stories, songs, crafts, and more! Plus, every child gets a free book to take home at storytime.
  • Library and Lunch will be on Tuesday the 14th at noon. Bring your lunch and join our discussion of Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger.
  • Join us for movie night on Wednesday, August 15! Free popcorn will be served. Visit the library, our website, or our Facebook page to see what we’re watching.
  • Back-to-School Saturday is on the 18th at 1:30 pm. Play games, make crafts, and get some FREE school gear! Space is limited, so register on our website
  • Recipe Swap is on Tuesday the 28th at 6:30 pm. Bring something you’ve made (along with the recipe) to share and enjoy everyone else’s dishes! This month, we’re making sandwiches.

So come to the library and check out a book or have fun at one of our events. We’re your free source for education and entertainment!

Mother’s Day at the Library

What’s happening this week at the Library

  • Tuesday at 11am Storytime – Stories, songs, crafts, and more! Plus, every child gets a free book to take home at every storytime. Story times are open to children of all ages.
  • Thursday at Noon Bunco – Come Join the Bunco Party! Seating is limited so sign up now. (Snacks will be served). Bunco is a popular game played with nine dice and a whole lot of luck. It requires twelve players.
  • Thursday at 4 pm Water Candle craft for adults – Make a water candle! Seating is limited, so sign up at the front desk. Adults only.
  • Thursday at 6 pm Storytime – If you can’t make it to the morning storytime on Tuesday, you can come to the evening Thursday one instead.

Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you Moms out there. I hope you were able to make it to our Mommy & Me teatime with your younger kids yesterday.

You deserve a break on your special day. If you’re looking for a good read, check out our “Chick Lit” book display. It includes old favorites and new. Here are a few examples:

Babyville
by Jane Green

From the book description
Meet Julia, a wildly successful television producer who appears to have the picture-perfect life. But beneath the surface, things are not as perfect as they seem. Stuck in a loveless relationship with her boyfriend, Mark, Julia thinks a baby is the answer . . . but she may want a baby more than she wants her boyfriend.

Maeve, on the other hand, is allergic to commitment. A feisty, red-haired, high-power career girl, she breaks out in a rash every time she passes a stroller. But when her no-strings-attached nightlife leads to an unexpected pregnancy, her reaction may be just as unexpected.

And then there’s Samantha – happily married and eager to be the perfect June Cleaver mother. But baby George brings only exhaustion, extra pounds, and marital strife to her once tidy life. Is having an affair with a friend’s incredibly sexy husband the answer?

By turns witty, rollicking, and tender, Babyville isn’t really a story about babies it’s about three friends whose lives are suddenly turned upside-down by that life-changing event that hangs over the head of every single girl: motherhood.

Surprise Me
by Sophie Kinsella

From the book description
After ten years together, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, and beautiful twin girls, and they communicate so seamlessly they finish each other’s sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it’s casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years . . . and panic sets in.

They decide to bring surprises into their marriage to keep it fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me—from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to sexy photo shoots—mishaps arise, with disastrous and comical results. Gradually, surprises turn to shocking truths. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other at all.

With a colorful cast of eccentric characters, razor-sharp observations, and her signature wit and charm, Sophie Kinsella presents a humorous yet moving portrait of a marriage—its intricacies, comforts, and complications. Surprise Me reveals that hidden layers in a close relationship are often yet to be discovered.

Remember Me?
by Sophie Kinsella

From the book description
When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident—in a Mercedes no less—Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and she’s about to find out just how much things have changed.

Somehow Lexi went from a twenty-five-year-old working girl to a corporate big shot with a sleek new loft, a personal assistant, a carb-free diet, and a set of glamorous new friends. And who is this gorgeous husband—who also happens to be a multimillionaire? With her mind still stuck three years in reverse, Lexi greets this brave new world determined to be the person she…well, seems to be. That is, until an adorably disheveled architect drops the biggest bombshell of all.

Suddenly Lexi is scrambling to catch her balance. Her new life, it turns out, comes complete with secrets, schemes, and intrigue. How on earth did all this happen? Will she ever remember? And what will happen when she does?

March Book Madness and the Year of the Dog

What’s happening this week at the Library

  • Tuesday at 11am Storytime – Stories, songs, crafts, and more! Plus, every child gets a free book to take home at every storytime. Story times are open to children of all ages.
  • Tuesday at 6:30 pm Recipe Swap – Bring something you’ve made (along with the recipe) to share and enjoy everyone else’s creations! Every month is a different theme! This month’s theme is slow cooker recipes.
  • Thursday at 6 pm Storytime – If you can’t make it to the morning storytime on Tuesday, you can come to the evening Thursday one instead.

March Book Madness

This week is the official start of our second annual March Book Madness contest. We’ve taken our sixteen most popular books from each area of the library: adult, teen, and kids, and pitted them against each other in a battle to see which books will become our 2018 Books of the Year.

You decide who will be the winner. Vote each week during March for your favorites, either on our website or in person at the library.

You can also fill out a bracket, online or in person, to predict the winners. If you correctly predict the winner of any of the three tournaments and turn in your bracket before March 9th at 4:30 p.m., you will win a 2018 March Book Madness trophy!

When you vote each week, besides helping determine which books will move forward in the tournament of books, you will also enter yourself into weekly drawings for fun prizes.

So have a little fun and maybe win a prize at the library by participating in this year’s March Book Madness.

Year of the Dog

In honor of Chinese New Year, which was earlier this month, we’ve put together a special “Year of the Dog” book display, featuring all kinds of dog related books.

Here are a few:

The Dog Who Saved Me
by Susan Wilson

From the book description
Cooper Harrison of the Boston K-9 unit thought he would never go back to his hometown. Then his canine partner, Argos, is killed in the line of duty, and Cooper is mired in grief. Jobless and on the verge of a divorce, he accepts a job as animal control officer in Harmony Farms – back where he started.

Where his father was the town drunk. Where his brother was a delinquent and bully. Where he was “one of those” Harrisons. Cooper does his job with deliberate detachment until he encounters a wounded and gun-shy yellow Lab gone feral.

Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell
by Alexandra Horowitz

From the book description
In Being a Dog, Alexandra Horowitz, a leading researcher in dog cognition, continues to unpack the mystery of a dog’s nose-view, in order to more fully understand our irrepressibly charming companions. She follows the dog’s nose – exploring not only its abilities but the incredible ways it is being put to use.

By observing everything from her own dogs to working detection dogs and human sniffers, Horowitz takes us along on her quest to make sense of scents, combining a personal journey of smelling with a tour through the cutting-edge science behind the olfactory powers of the dog.

Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery
by Spencer Quinn

From the book description
Meet Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator of Dog on It, who works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet might have flunked out of police school (“I’d been the best leaper in K-9 class, which had led to all the trouble in a way I couldn’t remember exactly, although blood was involved”), but he’s a detective through and through.

Their search for a missing teenaged girl takes them into the desert to biker bars and other exotic locals, with Chet’s highly trained nose leading the way. With his doggy ways and his endearingly hardboiled voice, Chet is full of heart and occasionally prone to mischief.

 

One Nation Under Dog: Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics, and Organic Pet Food
by Michael Schaffer

From the book description
When Michael Schaffer and his wife drove to a rural animal shelter and adopted Murphy, an emaciated, dreadlocked Saint Bernard, they vowed that they’d never become the kind of people who get facials for their dogs or shell out for expensive hip replacements. But then they started to get weird looks from the in-laws: You hired a trainer? You had our dog implanted with a GPS chip? Murphy is on antidepressants?

It turned out Murphy wasn’t alone: yesteryear’s pooch has moved from the backyard doghouse to the master bedroom, evolving from man’s best friend to bona fide family member. The pet industry has ballooned from $17 billion to an estimated $43 billion in barely a decade. Schaffer provides a surprising, lively, and often hilarious portrait of our country.