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 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.
Game Day
On Friday, December 22nd 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!
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 25th and 26th.
Teen Club
Are you in middle or high school? On Wednesday, December 27th at 4 pm, come hang out with your friends to do crafts, watch anime, and decompress from the stresses of life.
Library and Lunch
OnTuesday, January 9th at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.
Kid’s Blacklight Bingo
Kids, on Thursday, January 11th at 4 pm, join us for this fun spin on bingo. Be sure and wear neon and you may win some prizes!
Christmas Fiction Books
Check out our display of Christmas fiction books to help you get in the holiday spirit.
When it becomes known that Mr. Nicholas, the eccentric owner of the local hardware store, is somehow involved with reindeer, toys, and children, the town becomes more and more suspicious that this man is more than just a clerk on Main Street.
It’s the beginning of December in Rudolph, New York, America’s Christmas Town, and business is brisk at Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, a gift and décor shop owned by Merry Wilkinson. The local amateur dramatic society is preparing a musical production of A Christmas Carol. But it’s not a happy set, as rivalries between cast and crew threaten the production.
Tensions come to a head when a member of the group is found dead. Was someone looking to cut out the competition? Everyone in the cast and crew is a potential suspect, including Aline, Merry’s mother, and Merry’s shop assistant Jackie O’Reilly, who was desperate for a starring role.
It could be curtains for Christmas—and for Merry—unless the killer can be ferreted out of the wings.
Just weeks before Christmas, severe wintry weather damages the church hall hosting the Christmas Boutique—an annual sale of handcrafted gifts and baked goods that supports the county food pantry. Determined to save the fundraiser, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson offers to hold the event at Elm Creek Manor, her ancestral family estate and summertime home to Elm Creek Quilt Camp.
But while the Elm Creek Quilters work tirelessly to make sure the Christmas Boutique happens, it may take a holiday miracle or two to make it the smashing success they want it to be.
“Marley was dead, to begin with,” Charles Dickens tells us at the beginning of A Christmas Carol. But in Jon Clinch’s ingenious novel, Jacob Marley, business partner to Ebenezer Scrooge, is very much alive: a rapacious and cunning boy who grows up to be a forger, a scoundrel, and the man who will be both the making and the undoing of Scrooge.
They meet as youths in the gloomy confines of Professor Drabb’s Academy for Boys, where Marley begins their twisted friendship by initiating the innocent Scrooge into the gentle art of extortion. Years later, as Marley toys with the affections of Scrooge’s sister, Fan, Scrooge falls under the spell of Fan’s best friend, Belle Fairchild.
Now, for the first time, Scrooge and Marley find themselves at cross-purposes. The two men engage in a shadowy war of deception, false identities, forged documents, theft, and cold-blooded murder. Marley and Scrooge are destined to clash in an unforgettable reckoning that will echo into the future and set the stage for Marley’s ghostly return.
Meticulously crafted and beguilingly told, Marley revisits and illuminates one of Charles Dickens’s most cherished works to spellbinding effect.
The Library is currently limited to curbside pickup only. Although the building is closed to patrons, we will bring your library checkouts to you in the library parking lot. Visit our website for more detailed instructions https://lmlibrary.org/library-pick-up-service.
Once you are logged in, you can search for and place holds on items you want. Call 620-626-0180 or email circdesk@lmlibrary.org if you have any questions and a staff member will be happy to help.
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. A staff member will bring your items to you in a plastic bag.
Returning Library Items We ask that all returning items be put in the book drop. All returning items will be put into quarantine for a time before they are made available for checkout again.
Holiday Reading
Here are a few new Christmas themed books to get you in the holiday spirit. See more Christmas books featured in our catalog at catalog.lmlibrary.org.
From the book description When it comes to relationships, thirty-four-year-old Kate Turner is ready to say “Bah, humbug.” The sleepy town of Blexford, England, isn’t exactly brimming with prospects, and anyway, Kate’s found fulfillment in her career as a designer, and in her delicious side job baking for her old friend Matt’s neighborhood café. But then her best friend signs her up for a dating agency that promises to help singles find love before the holidays. Twenty-three days until Christmas. Twelve dates with twelve different men. The odds must finally be in her favor . . . right?
Yet with each new date more disastrous than the one before–and the whole town keeping tabs on her misadventures–Kate must remind herself that sometimes love, like mistletoe, shows up where it’s least expected. And maybe, just maybe, it’s been right under her nose all along. . . .
Featuring over a dozen cookie and dessert recipes from The Cookie Jar—Hannah Swensen’s famous bakery, this festive new Christmas mystery from the Queen of Culinary Cozies is just the holiday treat you need this season!
While Hannah speeds through a lengthy holiday checklist, drama in town grows like Santa’s waistline on Christmas Eve. Her sister Andrea wants to stave off the blues by helping out at The Cookie Jar, Michelle’s love life is becoming complicated, Lisa needs Hannah’s advice, and Delores has a Christmas secret she’s not willing to share. But nothing dampens the holiday mood more than the chilling mystery surrounding the man found near death in an abandoned storefront two doors down from Hannah’s bakery . . .
The befuddled John Doe can’t recall a thing about himself—except for his unusual knowledge of restoring antique furniture. With a smattering of clues and barely enough time to frost Christmas cookies, Hannah must solve a deadly puzzle that could leave her dashing through the snow for her life!
From the book description Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, are finding that all is not calm or bright in Silent Bite, the latest Christmas mystery in this heartwarming series from bestselling author David Rosenfelt.
Lawyer Andy Carpenter can finally take a breath; he’s back on dry land after a family Caribbean cruise forced on him by his wife, Laurie, to get into the Christmas spirit. Of course the family’s first stop is to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that has always been Andy’s true passion.
But when Andy arrives, his partner, Willie Miller, needs his help. Willie’s old cellmate, Tony Birch, has been arrested for murder. Andy doesn’t necessarily believe in Tony, but Willie does. And Andy believes in Willie, which is why Andy decides to take the case.
Once again David Rosenfelt puts readers in the Christmas spirit in a tale that is equal parts mystery and holiday cheer.
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 on December 24th and 25th.
Online Library and Lunch
On Tuesday, January 12th at Noon, our book club will meet online to discuss “The Henna Artist” by Alka Joshi.
Programs Coming Soon
Teen Virtual Club – Teens are invited to join us on Zoom every Wednesday at 4 pm to have discussions and play games. Visit our website at lmlibrary.org to sign up and gain access to our zoom room.
Winter Reading – We will have a Winter Reading Challenge similar to our Summer Reading program earlier this year. It will be held entirely online using the Beanstack website and mobile app – Google Play or Apple App Store. Watch our website for more information about this upcoming program.
For this week only, November 27th through December 2nd, you can donate any nonperishable food items or new toiletries (toothpaste, soap, toilet paper, etc.) to Liberal Memorial Library and we will waive your overdue fines! All donated items will be given to local charities.
This works for overdue fines only, fines for lost or damaged items will not be waived.
Database spotlight – Consumer Reports
Did you know that, as a Kansas resident, you could use the online databases from the Kansas State Library to access full text magazines and journals (such as Consumer Reports) for free?
What if, like me, your oven dies just weeks before Thanksgiving? Or suppose you want to find a new dishwasher in time for the big holiday get together aftermath but don’t know which to buy? You could:
Type Dishwashers (or whatever else you’re looking for) on the first line,
And type Consumer Reports on the second line.
Choose Publication Name under the drop-down beside the second line.
Then click Search.
The first result in the list is “Dishwashers” from the Consumer Reports Buying Guide. 2017. If you click on the underlined title, you’ll go straight to the full text article.
After you bring up the article, you also have the option of looking at other articles in the same issue or looking at other issues of Consumer Reports.
Other Databases
Besides Explora Mulit-Search, the Kansas State Library offers access to many other great databases. You could use the Auto Repair Reference Center to find repair information for your car.
LearningExpress offers tutorials and practice tests for people at different stages in life, from elementary school through college prep. The Career Center and Job & Career Accelerator can help you study for and find a new job. Use the Computer Skills Center to learn new computer skills. And the High School Equivalency Center can help you get your GED.
Mango Languages can help you learn a new language. Universal Class offers over 500 online non-credit Continuing Education Courses. Use Heritage Quest and Genealogy Connect to learn more about your ancestors.
These are only a few of the great resources that the Kansas State Library offers free to all Kansas residents.
Christmas Fiction
Now that Thanksgiving is over, we’re all busier than ever, stressed out over getting ready for the holidays. If you need a little help getting into the holiday spirit, these books may help.
From the Book Description
Eighteen delightful holiday stories by a colorful lineup of favorite Soho Crime authors. This captivating collection contains laughs aplenty, the most hardboiled of holiday noir, and heartwarming reminders of the spirit of the season.
Nine mall Santas must find the imposter among them. An elderly lady seeks peace from her murderously loud neighbors at Christmastime. A young woman receives a mysterious invitation to Christmas dinner with a stranger…These and other adventures in this delectable volume will whisk readers away to Christmases around the globe, from a Korean War POW camp to a Copenhagen refugee squat, from a palatial hotel in 1920s Bombay to a crumbling mansion in Havana.
From the Book Description
She’s Determined to give her baby a better life. Could a Christmas miracle make it possible?
When she receives the news in late 1944 that her baby’s father was shot down in the South Pacific, Amelia Richards loses hope. Jobless and broke, she has nowhere to turn for help but her infant’s paternal grandparents. The only problem is, they don’t know that she–or their grandson–exists.
When Amelia discovers that the family is wealthy and influential, dare she disclose the truth of her relationship with their son? Or could the celebration of the arrival of another unexpected baby nearly two thousand years ago be the answer to her dilemma?
From the Book Description
When Holly White’s fiancé cancels their Christmas Eve wedding with less than two weeks to go, Holly heads home with a broken heart. Lucky for her, home in historic Mistletoe, Maine is magical during Christmastime―exactly what the doctor prescribed. Except her plan to drown her troubles in peppermints and snickerdoodles is upended when local grouch and president of the Mistletoe Historical Society Margaret Fenwick is bludgeoned and left in the sleigh display at Reindeer Games, Holly’s family tree farm.
When the murder weapon is revealed as one of the wooden stakes used to identify trees on the farm, Sheriff Evan Grey turns to Holly’s father, Bud, and the Reindeer Games staff. And it doesn’t help that Bud and the reindeer keeper were each seen arguing with Margaret just before her death. But Holly knows her father, and is determined to exonerate him. The jingle bells are ringing, the clock is ticking, and if Holly doesn’t watch out, she’ll end up on Santa’s naughty list.
Monday – The Library will be closed on Monday for the holiday, but will reopen for normal hours on Tuesday at 9 am.
Every day during the winter break, we will have an activity for the kids at 1 pm followed by an animated movie at 2 pm.
Tuesday at 1 pm Activity and Movie – Crafts or board games followed by the movie “Turbo” at 2 pm.
Tuesday at 6 pm Storytime – If you can’t make it to the morning storytime on Thursday, you can come to the evening Tuesday one instead.
Wednesday at 1 pm Activity and Movie – Crafts or board games followed by the movie “Shaun the Sheep” at 2 pm.
Wednesday at 5 pm Lego Day – Kids, come use your imagination to build something great!
Thursday at 11:15 am Storytime – Listen to stories, sing songs, and do a craft. Storytimes are open to children of all ages.
Thursday at 1 pm Activity and Movie – Crafts or board games followed by the movie “Aristocats” at 2 pm.
Thursday at 5 pm Teen Create and Game – Come play our Wii, Xbox, PS4, or one of several fun board games. Our craft this week will be making rainbow snowflakes.
Friday at 1 pm Activity and Movie – Crafts or board games followed by the movie “Finding Dory” at 2 pm.
More Christmas themed books
Just in case you haven’t had enough of holidays, here are a couple more mood setting books from our Christmas book display.
Christmas days : 12 stories and 12 feasts for 12 days
by Jeanette Winterson.
From the book description
For years Jeanette Winterson has written a new story at Christmas-time and here she brings together twelve of her brilliantly imaginative, funny and bold tales, along with twelve delicious recipes for the twelve days of Christmas.
Twelve Days of Christmas
by Debbie Macomber
From the book description
Continuing a festive annual tradition, #1 New York Times bestselling Debbie Macomber returns with a new holiday novel full of romance and cheer—and the magical prospect of finding love in even the most guarded hearts.
Friendly and bubbly, Julia Padden likes nearly everyone, but her standoffish neighbor, Cain Maddox, presents a challenge. No matter how hard she tries to be nice, Cain rudely rebuffs her at every turn. But when Julia catches Cain stealing her newspaper, that’s the last straw. She’s going to break through Cain’s Scrooge-like exterior the only way she knows how: by killing him with kindness.
To track her progress, Julia starts a blog called The Twelve Days of Christmas. Her first attempts to humanize Cain are far from successful. Julia brings him homemade Christmas treats, and the disagreeable grinch won’t even accept them. Meanwhile, Julie’s blog becomes an online sensation. Julia continues to find ways to express kindness and, little by little, chips away at Cain’s gruff façade to reveal the caring man underneath. Unbelievably, Julia feels herself falling for Cain—and she suspects that he may be falling for her as well. But as the popularity of her blog continues to grow, Julia must decide if telling Cain the truth about having chronicled their relationship to the rest of the world is worth risking their chance at love.
Food for Fines
The Usual Santas : a collection of Soho Crime Christmas capers
The Christmas blessing
Twelve slays of Christmas
Twelve Days of Christmas