Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
Mahjong
Are you interested in learning a new game to play with family and friends? Every Wednesday at 10 am and 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.
LEGO Play Day
Kids, unleash your imagination! On Tuesday, November 21st at 4 pm, join us for free-play with LEGO bricks galore.
Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday
Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone! The library will close early at 1 pm on Wednesday, the 22nd and will be closed Thursday and Friday. We will reopen on Saturday at 9 am.
Teen Club
Are you in middle or high school? On Wednesday, November 29th at 4 pm, come hang out with your friends to do crafts, watch anime, and decompress from the stresses of life.
Holiday Open House
On December 7th starting at 6 pm, we are having a holiday celebration at the library. There will be cookies, musical performances, and a special visit from Santa. Bring the kids to listen to Santa tell stories and to take their pictures with Santa.
hoopla BingePass
A hoopla BingePass gives you unlimited access to great online content for seven days – with a single borrow! hoopla is available FREE with your Liberal Memorial Library card.
If you haven’t tried hoopla yet, it is an all-in-one media service where you can borrow titles in six different formats—audiobooks, eBooks, comics/graphic novels, full music albums, movies, and TV.
Borrow up to 6 titles (also called borrows) per month. You can access the titles you borrow instantly on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. With hoopla, there are no holds or waiting!
To register, please visit your device’s store and download the hoopla digital app, or visit www.hoopladigital.com and go to “Sign up Today”. Enter your email address and create a password for hoopla. After that choose Liberal Memorial Library from the list of nearby libraries.
It will ask for your Library Card Number and Library PIN (password) to finish creating a hoopla account. If you are unsure of your library card number or password, please call us at 620-626-0180 and we will be happy to help. After you are finished, you will log in to hoopla with your email address and the password that you created.
Also available on
If you choose to use one of your borrows on a BingePass, you can access all of the content in that collection free for seven days. Here is a list of the currently available BingePasses
Empowers kids to be active participants in every story. Your child can enjoy skill-building activities and hands-on fun for seven days, at no cost to you.
Note: You must download the Hellosaurus iOS or Android app to your mobile device to play this content. No signup is required.
Looking for an easy way to encourage your emerging reader? With Read-Along eBooks, young readers can explore independently or with narrator support and word highlighting.
Does your child love Highlights magazine? Now they can check out fun, interactive content straight from the magazine’s publisher — including puzzles, videos, activities, and more.
Bring story time to your home or take it on the go! With this BingePass, you can view The Reading Corner’s entire collection of more than 900 videos. Designed for kids of all ages.
Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
Movie Time
On Tuesday, September 19th at 4:30 pm, come to the library and enjoy a movie and free popcorn! A plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother, Luigi, trying to save a captured princess.
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, September 20th at 5 pm, we will meet to watch and discuss anime!
Sign up in advance to get a free sticker at the meeting! Join us for your chance at an anime door prize and fun anime/manga discussion.
Game day
On Thursday, September 21st starting at 4 pm, join us to play video games, board games and card games. This event is open to all ages, bring a friend or family member to try out a new game!
Mahjong
We are now offering a 10 am Wednesday game session!
Are you interested in learning a new game to play with family and friends? Every Wednesday at 10 am and Friday at 1 pm, we will get together for a fun game of Mahjong here at the library. Think Gin Rummy using tiles! Learn the rules of this traditional Chinese game and play some Mahjong. No experience necessary. For adults only.
Books, Coffee & Donuts
On Wednesday, October 4th 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.
Library and Lunch
On Tuesday, October 10th at 12pm, our book club will meet to discuss “Home Before Dark” by Riley Sager. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.
Cozy Mysteries
Now that our evenings are starting to cool off, I’m inclined to curl up with a good book and maybe some fresh baked cookies or muffins.
Come in and check out our Cozy Mysteries book display. Here are a few cozy mysteries to choose from:
Mrs. Loretta Plansky, a recent widow in her seventies, is settling into retirement in Florida while dealing with her 98-year-old father. One night Mrs. Plansky is startled awake by a phone call from a voice claiming to be her grandson Will, who desperately needs ten thousand dollars to get out of a jam. Of course, Loretta obliges―after all, what are grandmothers for.
By morning, Mrs. Plansky has lost everything. Law enforcement announces that Loretta’s life savings have vanished, and that it’s hopeless to find the scammers behind the heist. First humiliated, then furious, Loretta Plansky refuses to be just another victim.
In a courageous bid for justice, Mrs. Plansky follows her only clue on a whirlwind adventure to a small village in Romania to get her money and her dignity back―and perhaps find a new lease on life, too.
Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood for seven years before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at True Confections, the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.
While Becca’s testing new flavors and reconnecting with old friends, the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, popular with both residents and tourists, with one exception, local curmudgeon Archie Smith.
Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found floating face-down in the canal, and Pops finds himself in hot water as one of the top suspects. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but when the case heats up, she could be facing a sticky end.
Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter remembers every dog that’s come through the Tara Foundation’s doors, but the most well-known alum of the dog rescue organization may be Mamie. Adopted by famous actress Jenny Nichols―Andy’s high school girlfriend―the miniature French poodle is now practically a starlet in her own right.
Andy and his wife, Laurie, have dinner with Jenny while she’s in town filming her next big hit. But after an eventful meal, Jenny’s costar is found dead, a knife in his back. It’s not long before Jenny is arrested for the murder and finds herself in need of Andy’s legal services.
While Mamie becomes reacquainted with Tara, Andy’s golden retriever, Andy digs into the lives of the rich and famous.
A possible serial killer on the loose sends tea maven Theodosia Browning into a whirlwind of investigation in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.
As she approaches St. Philips Graveyard, Theodosia sees two figures locked in a strange embrace. Wiping rain from her eyes, Theodosia realizes she has just witnessed a brutal murder and sees a dark-hooded figure slip away into the fog.
While alerting police, Theodosia recognizes the victim—it is the daughter of her friend, Lois, who owns the Antiquarian Bookshop next door to her own Indigo Tea Shop.
Even though this appears to be the work of a serial killer who is stalking the back alleys of Charleston, Lois begs Theodosia for help. Against the advice of her boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, amateur-sleuth Theodosia launches her own shadow investigation.
Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
Cutest Pet Contest Voting
Voting is open this week for our cutest pet contest. Come in to the library and vote for the cutest of the cute.
For the last couple of weeks, people have sent us pictures of their dogs, cats, and other pets to enter our contest. Now it’s time for you to decide the winners.
Voting ends on Saturday, August 26th and the winner will be announced on the following Monday.
On Tuesday, August 22nd at 4:30 pm, Dr. Jackie Augustine of Audubon of Kansas will visit the library and teach us how to start the hobby of bird watching. Learn tips and tricks and how to check out the new “Adventurepack” backpacks from the library.
Game day
On Thursday, August 24th starting at 4 pm, join us to play video games, board games and card games. This event is open to all ages, bring a friend or family member to try out a new game!
Library Closed
The library will be closed on Friday, August 25th for staff training. Our regularly scheduled Mahjong game will be cancelled this week. We will reopen on Saturday for our regular hours, 9am to 1pm.
Books, Coffee & Donuts
On Wednesday, September 6th 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.
Library and Lunch
On Tuesday, September 12th at 12pm, our book club will meet to discuss “The Book of Lost Names” by Kristin Harmel. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.
For the Birds – book display
Come in and check out our bird themed book display. It is inspired by Jackie Augustine, the Executive Director for Audubon of Kansas coming to visit our library.
Meg is relaxing in the hammock and watching the hummingbirds at their feeders when her hopes for a relaxing early summer morning are dashed.
Meg’s grandmother, Cordelia, shows up, trailed by a nosy reporter who is writing a feature on her for a genteel Southern ladies’ magazine.
Cordelia drafts Meg to accompany her – and the reporter, alas – in their search for a long-lost cemetery. Unfortunately what they discover is not an ancient cemetery but a fresh corpse. Can Meg protect her grandmother – and Caerphilly – from the reporter who seems to see the worst in everything . . . and help crack the case before the killer finds another victim?
When Patricia Delfine was six years old, a wounded bird led her deep into the forest to the Parliament of Birds, where she met the Great Tree and was asked a question that would determine the course of her life.
When Laurence Armstead was in grade school, he cobbled together a wristwatch-sized device that could send its wearer two seconds into the future.
When Patricia and Laurence first met in high school, they didn’t understand one another at all. But as time went on, they kept bumping into one another’s lives. Now they’re both grown up, and the planet is falling apart around them.
Laurence is an engineering genius who’s working with a group that aims to avert catastrophic breakdown through technological intervention into the changing global climate. Patricia is a graduate of Eltisley Maze, the hidden academy for the world’s magically gifted, and works with a small band of other magicians to secretly repair the world’s every-growing ailments.
Neither Laurence nor Patricia can keep pace with the speed at which things fall apart. But something bigger than either of them, something begun deep in their childhoods, is determined to bring them together. And will.
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
OnTuesday, 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.
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.
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.
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.
Help us kickoff Summer Reading on Thursday, June 1st from 2 to 4 pm at our Summer Reading Kick Off Party. We will have games, hotdogs, chips, lemonade, and more! All ages welcome.
This summer’s theme is all about exploring the different characters and stories that get people of all ages excited about reading.
The Children’s Summer Reading Program
How it Works
Children’s program is open to kids ages 0-11 years old. Kids who read (or are read to) 25 hours or more will earn a prize! Fill out and turn in a reading log by July 15th to qualify to earn a prize. Fill out one star on the reading log for every hour your child reads,. When all the stars are filled, your child has read 25 hours and earned a prize!
Come in to the library to pick up your reading log and a copy of the Summer Reading calendar.
The Teen and Adult Summer Reading Programs
How it Works
The Teen Summer Reading Program is open to teens ages 12 to 17 and the Adult Program is open to adults ages 18 and up.
Earn a Liberal Memorial Library Book Buck for every book you read and earn 5 Book Bucks for every Summer Reading event you attend.
After you’ve earned your Book Bucks, you can redeem them anytime at the Library Store located across from the front desk at the library. The store’s inventory will change regularly.
You can also use your Book Bucks to purchase raffle tickets. A raffle drawing for larger prizes will be held at the end of the Summer Reading Program.
Come in to the library to pick up a copy of the Summer Reading calendar.
Summer Reading Events
In addition to our regular library events, we will also have lots of fun Summer Reading events:
Reoccurring
Monday evenings at 5:30 pm – Evening Storytime
Wednesdays at 10:00 am – Morning Storytime
Fridays at 1 pm – Mahjong for Adults
Saturdays at 11 am – Saturday Storytime
Saturdays at 11:30 in – Saturday Storytime in spanish
1st Week
Tues, June 6th at 11 am – Smoky Hills PBS Share A story “All Together Now”
2nd Week
Mon, June 12th at 10 am – Exploration Place of Wichita
Tues, June 13th at Noon – Book club for Adults
Tues, June 13th at 6 pm – Teen Advisory Group
3rd Week
Mon, June 19th – Library closed for Juneteenth
Wed, June 21st at 5 pm – Teen Otaku Club
Thurs, June 22nd at 2 pm – Southern Pioneer Electricity demonstration
4th Week
Fri, June 30th at 10 am – Mad Science
5th Week
Mon, July 3rd – 4th – Library closed for Independence Day
Wed, July 5th at 9 am – Books, Coffee & Donuts
Wed, July 5th at 10 am – Llamas at the library
6th Week
Tues, July 11th at Noon – Book club for Adults
Tues, July 11th at 6 pm – Teen Advisory Group
Thurs, July 13th at 1 pm – End of Summer Reading Party with Magician Dan Dan the Magic Man
Sat, July 15th – Last day to turn in reading logs and to earn and redeem Book Bucks
These are just some of the events we’ll have this Summer. Come in to the library for a copy of the full Summer Reading calendar or visit our website, https://lmlibrary.org, in the coming weeks for more information.
#IMAFAN Summer Reading Book display
Come in to the library and check out our Summer Reading themed book display. It includes books about all kinds of fandoms from a “Tolkien Bestiary” to “The Office, the untold story”. Here are a few:
A. D. Jameson takes geeks and non-geeks alike on a surprising and insightful journey through the science fiction, fantasy, and superhero franchises that now dominate pop culture. Walking us through the rise of geekdom from its underground origins to the top of the box office and bestseller lists. “I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing” tells the story of how the geeks have inherited the earth.
Is there a God? What evil lurks beyond the stars? Can science save one’s soul? Profound questions like these have inspired the original creators of the Star Trek canon of TV series and films. Religions of Star Trek tackles these challenging questions head-on and examines in detail the humanistic vision of creator Gene Roddenberry.
From his beginnings as a crotchety, anti-heroic scientist in 1963 to his current place in British pop culture as the mad and dangerous monster-fighting savior of the universe, the titular character of Doctor Who has metamorphosed in his 50 years on television. And yet the questions about him remain the same: Who is he? Why does he act the way he does? What motivates him to fight evil across space and time?
A comprehensive fan’s guide to the provocative television show providing detailed background information on the program’s subject matter, scripts, characters, and more.
Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
Facebook Storytimes in English and Spanish
Books, Coffee & Donuts
On Wednesday, May 3rd 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.
Spring Book Sale and Reception
Support the library and pick up some good deals at our book sale Tuesday, April 25th – Saturday, April 29th during regular library hours.
Tuesday through Thursday – paperbacks will be $0.50 each and all other items will be $1 each.
Friday and Saturday – $1 for every bag full of books and $2 for every box full of books.
Funds from the Book Sale go to the Friends of the Library to help support library programs including Baby’s Bookshelf, Budding Bookworms, Summer Reading Program, etc.
Reception
On Monday evening, April 24th from 6 pm – 7:30 pm, there will be an exclusive first pick Book Sale reception for current and new Friends of the Library members only.
Sign up to become a Friend of the Library today. You can renew your membership by paying online with PayPal or in person at the library.
Teen Volunteer Work Day
Teens, there’s still time to get your volunteer hours in. During the month of April, the library will have Teen Volunteer Work Days every Monday starting at 4:30 pm. Volunteer for different creative tasks that will help you achieve your needed volunteer hours.
Kids Bingo
Kids, on Tuesday, April 18th at 4:30 pm, join us for a fun game of Bingo! Snacks and fun prizes will be available!
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, April 19th at 5 pm we will watch & discuss the anime “Sk8 the Infinity”!
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.
Game Day
On April 20th, starting at 4:30 pm we’ll have a special “battle the staff” game day. Test your skills against some of the library staff.
This event is open to all ages, bring a friend or family member to try out a new game!
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
OnTuesday, May 9th at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “ The Last Flight” by Julie Clark. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.
Spring Flowers Book Display
Here are a few books from our Spring Flowers book display.
Florist Fiona Knox left behind her gloomy life for a magical garden in Scotland, but a murder on her shop’s opening day spells doom.
The parish minister, Quaid MacCullen, makes it clear that he would be happy to send Fiona back to Tennessee. Then the village’s police chief finds a dead body on the beach, thought to be that of the parish minister. Which makes Fiona a suspect.
The last thing Fiona wanted to do was play detective again. But now, the rosy future she’d envisioned is going to seed, and if she and Chief Inspector Neil Craig can’t clear her name, her idyllic life will wilt away in Death and Daisies, national bestselling author Amanda Flower’s second enchanting Magic Garden mystery.
Nora, the owner of the Miss Guthrie Diner, is perfectly happy serving up apple cider donuts, coffee, and eggs-any-way-you-like-em to her regulars, and she takes great pleasure in knowing exactly what’s “the usual.” But her life is soon shaken when she discovers she and her free-spirited, younger sister Kit stand to inherit the home and land of the town’s beloved cake lady, Peggy Johnson.
Kit, an aspiring–and broke–filmmaker thinks her problems are solved when she and Nora find out Peggy was in the process of selling the land to a big-box developer before her death. The people of Guthrie are divided–some want the opportunities the development will bring, while others are staunchly against any change–and they aren’t afraid to leave their opinions with their tips.
When a disaster strikes the diner, the community of Guthrie bands together to help her, and Nora discovers that doing the right thing doesn’t always mean giving up your dreams.
After Raine’s dad walked out, Ginevieve Lightly never lived in one place too long, a rambling lifestyle that defined her daughter’s youth. When their car dies in Banister Falls, Gin promises Raine they can stay until she finishes her senior year of high school. Gin will do anything to make sure her daughter has a bright future . . . a future that’s compromised when Raine reveals she’s pregnant.
Dan Moretti has only ever called Banister Falls home. After losing his best friend in a tragic accident, Dan devoted himself to responding to fires, rescuing the helpless, and guiding Cody Bennett, his best friend’s son, through life. With Cody being the epitome of the good kid, it was an easy job. Until he says four little words: “The baby is mine.”
As Gin and Dan do the best they can to guide the two teenagers through their early entry into adulthood, they discover together that romance can bloom in the rockiest of situations. And God can turn the pieces of a broken past into a beautiful new beginning.
Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
Facebook Storytimes in English and Spanish
Hogwarts House Appreciation Week
Join us for a week of activities and show your Hogwarts House Pride!
Monday 3/20 @ 4:30 pm: Hufflepuff Day-Herbology Class: Make your very own baby Mandrake
Tuesday 3/21 @ 4:30 pm: Slytherin Day-Divination Class: Find what the future holds for you
Wednesday 3/22 @ 4:30 pm: Gryffindor Day-Dueling Club: Challenge your friends and foes to see who is the best
Thursday 3/23 @ 4:30 pm: Ravenclaw Day-History of Magic Class: Test your knowledge of the Wizarding World
Friday 3/24 @ 4:30 pm: Hogwarts Spirit Day-Party in the Great Hall
Books, Coffee & Donuts
On Wednesday, April 5th 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.
Closed for Good Friday
The Library will be closed on Friday, April 7th and Saturday, April 8th for Good Friday and Easter. We will reopen on Monday at 9 a.m.
Teen Volunteer Work Day
Teens, do you need to earn some volunteer hours before prom and graduation? During the month of April, the library will have Teen Volunteer Work Days every Monday starting at 4:30 pm. Volunteer for different creative tasks that will help you achieve your needed volunteer hours.
Library and Lunch
OnTuesday, April 11th at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “The house in the Cerulean Sea” by T.J. Klune. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.
Poetry Night
On Wednesday April 12th at 6 pm, share your favorite poem or an original piece at our poetry night, open for all ages.
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, April 19th at 5 pm we will watch & discuss the anime “Sk8 the Infinity”!
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.
“The Book was Better” book display
Come to the library to check out our display featuring movies along with the books that inspired them. Here are just a few.
The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a look into a family at once dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family.
The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.
The Glass Castle is truly astonishing—a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.
The memoir was also made into a movie in 2017 starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. When it becomes clear the police have little interest in investigating the incident, protesters take to the streets and Starr’s neighborhood becomes a war zone. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could destroy her community. It could also endanger her life.
A critically acclaimed movie of the same name was released in 2018.
Bernadette (played by Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett in the movie), is a frightfully intelligent wife and mother with an intense allergy to Seattle specifically, and to people in general. When her daughter Bee insists on a family trip to Antarctica as her reward for getting perfect grades in middle school, Bernadette is faced with the daunting prospect of actual human interaction.
The timing could not be worse. Bernadette is already on the brink of a breakdown. Throw in a feud with her neighbor over Bernadette’s rampant blackberry bushes, the scandal that erupts when she runs over another mother’s foot at the school’s drop-off, and a class fundraiser gone disastrously awry – and it is all too much. Bernadette vanishes, leaving her Microsoft-guru husband, a horde of angry parents, and questioning police officers to pick up the pieces.
Desperate to find her mother, Bee probes her emails, invoices, school memos, and other evidence. Conjuring out of those shards a portrait of a woman she never knew before – and a secret that could explain everything.
On the hottest day of the summer of 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis sees her older sister Cecilia (played by Keira Knightley in the movie) strip off her clothes and plunge into the garden fountain at their country house. Watching Cecilia is their housekeeper’s son Robbie Turner (played by James McAvoy), a childhood friend who along with Briony’s sister, has recently graduated from Cambridge.
By the end of the day the lives of all three are changed forever. Robbie and Cecilia become victims of the younger girl’s scheming imagination. And Briony commits a dreadful crime, the guilt of which will color her entire life.
In Atonement Ian McEwan takes the reader from a manor house in England to the retreat from Dunkirk in 1941; from London’s World War II military hospitals to a reunion of the Tallis clan in 1999.
Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
Facebook Storytimes in English and Spanish
Closed for Presidents’ Day
The Library will be closed on Monday, February 20th for Presidents’ Day. We will reopen for normal hours on Tuesday, 21st – 9:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m.
Pokémon Day 2023
All ages are encouraged to participate in this year’s Pokémon Day activities:
All month long, come to the library and vote in our best Pokemon bracket and try out our Pokemon scavenger hunt.
From the 22nd through the 27th, stop by anytime for grab & go Pokemon craft.
On Monday, February 27th at 4:30 pm, we will host our first Pokemon Training Camp with games and activities. Go up against other trainers in a series of games that test your knowledge and skill and compete for prizes!
Game Day
On Thursday, February 23rd at 4 pm, come to the library and play video games, board games, and card games. This event is open to all ages, bring a friend or family member to try out a new game!
Books, Coffee & Donuts
On Wednesday, March 1st 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.
Library and Lunch
OnTuesday, March 14th at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “The Measure” by Nikki Erlick. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.
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, March 15th at 5 pm we will watch & discuss the anime My Hero Academia!
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.
Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
Facebook Storytimes in English and Spanish
Library Closed Martin Luther King Jr. Day
The Library will be closed on Monday, January 16th for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will reopen for normal hours on Tuesday, 17th – 9:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m.
Teen Otaku Club
Do you love anime and manga and are in middle or high school? Then come to our Teen Otaku Club meeting.
Sign up in advance to get a free sticker at the meeting! Join us for your chance at an anime door prize and fun anime/manga discussion.
Game Day
On Thursday, January 26th at 4 pm, come to the library and play video games, board games, and card games. This event is open to all ages, bring a friend or family member to try out a new game! We will also have occasional tournaments on Mariokart & Super Smash Bros. for those interested.
Books, Coffee & Donuts
On Wednesday, February 1st 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.
Library and Lunch
OnTuesday, February 10th at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “A Walk in the Woods: rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail” by Bill Bryson. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.
New Year’s Resolutions
Here are a few books from our New Year’s Resolutions book display to inspire you.
From the book description “From the creator of The Good Place and the co-creator of Parks and Recreation, a hilarious, thought-provoking guide to living an ethical life, drawing on 2,400 years of deep thinking from around the world”
Most people think of themselves as “good,” but it’s not always easy to determine what’s “good” or “bad”—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more so we can sound cool at parties and become better people.
From the book description An empowering book on propelling profound social change by going inward, from a mindfulness teacher and activist.
Shelly Tygielski shows that self-care can be a powerful tool for spurring transformative collective action. She shares her evolution from a Jerusalem-born child of traditional Sephardic Jewish parents to a middle-class American suburban youth who questioned her faith to a young executive in corporate America. As she used radical self-care practices to manage a serious chronic health issue, she had an epiphany: finding true health and peace is not a solo endeavor but one that lives in connection with others. Shelly’s work began as “me” work and transformed into “we” work. In Sit Down to Rise Up, she shows that this is possible for all of us.
From the book description You’ve worked hard for your money and now it’s time for your money to work for you. You will never earn or budget your way into real wealth. Growing your money significantly doesn’t require starting with a lot of money. It requires a little bit of knowledge about taking smart risks and as much time as possible to take advantage of the glorious power of compound interest, which Einstein refers to as the eighth wonder of the world.
From automating your savings to easy, no-stress investing strategies, Nicole will teach you how to take your financial knowledge and portfolio to the next level and start you on your journey to your ultimate destination: true financial independence.
From the book description We’re living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. As such, we’ve all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption.
Psychiatrist and author Dr. Anna Lembke explores new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain . . . and what to do about it. She illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.
Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
Facebook Storytimes in English and Spanish
Closed for Christmas Holiday
Wishing all of you a merry and safe Christmas holiday from the Liberal Memorial Library family to yours. In celebration of the holiday, we will be closed December 24th through 26th.
Teen & Adult DIY Holiday Gifts
Don’t know what to get your friends or family this holiday season? Join us on Monday, December 19th from 1 to 3 pm to make something with your own hands that they are sure to enjoy! We will have several different craft gift options to choose from, you are welcome to make one or make them all.
This event is free but supplies will be limited.
Teen Otaku Club Holiday Party
On Wednesday, December 21st at 5 pm we will celebrate our love of Otaku by having a holiday party!
Join us in games, a craft, snacks, and a gift exchange!
Sign up is required to attend this month due to the planned activities.
Game Day
On Thursday, December 22nd at 5 pm, come to the library and play video games, board games, and card games. This event is open to all ages, bring a friend or family member to try out a new game!
Library and Lunch
OnTuesday, January 10th at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.
Christmas Fiction Books
Check out our display of Christmas fiction books to help you get in the holiday spirit.
When Sadie and Max are selected for a duet on the famed reality singing show Starmaker, each thinks they’ve finally gotten their big Nashville break. Faking a relationship until their final performance in the Starmaker holiday special shouldn’t be too hard, except for one small problem—Sadie and Max can’t stand each other.
But with their dreams just within reach, they agree to the ruse. Will their fake relationship be exposed before they can win? Or might their phony connection turn real by the Christmas finale?
‘Tis the season in Paterson, New Jersey: Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, are surrounded by holiday cheer.
Myers, a newer employee at the Tara Foundation, did time for a crime he swears he didn’t commit. When Myers discovers a key witness against him lied on the stand, he goes to Andy to ask for representation in getting the conviction overturned. Myers thinks they can have this wrapped up by Christmas, no problem.
But when the witness is murdered, and Myers is arrested for the crime, things go from bad to worse. Suddenly, it’s all elves on deck to make a list and check it twice, so they can prove Myers is innocent.
Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax are best friends, but their lives couldn’t be more different. Peter, the local pastor, is dedicated to his community. As a bartender, Hank serves a much different customer base at his family-owned tavern.
When Peter scoffs that Hank has it easy compared to him, the two decide to switch jobs until Christmas Eve. As the two begin to see each other in a new light—and each discovers a new love to cherish—their lives are forever changed.
In The Christmas Spirit, Debbie Macomber celebrates the true meaning of the holidays and the inclusive community spirit that binds us all.
