Kids, unleash your imagination! Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 4pm, join us for free-play with LEGO bricks galore! Upcoming Lego Play Days are Sept. 17th, Oct. 1st, and Oct. 15th.
Family Board Game Night
Calling all families! Join us on Thursday, Sept. 19th at 5pm to play board games with your family or compete against other families! We’ll provide great classic board games for open play.
Mahjong
Are you interested in learning a new game to play with family and friends? On Friday, Sept. 20th 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.
Zen Den
On Thursday, Sept. 26th starting at 4:30 pm, teens are invited to Zen Den – the ultimate after-school hangout for teens!
Every other Thursday at 4:30 pm we will dive into crafts, binge-watch movies and anime. Challenge your friends to video game battles in a welcoming space just for you.
Library and Lunch
On Tuesday, October 8th at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “Daisy Darker” by Alice Feeney. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.
Banned Books Week display
Banned Books Week is coming up next week, September 22-28. Our staff is putting together an amazing display this year, come in and check it out!
While you’re at it, why not check out one of the books on display that have been banned or challenged around the country.
Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs
Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her psychiatrist, a dead-ringer for Santa and a lunatic in the bargain. The doctor’s bizarre family, a few patients, and a pedophile living in the backyard shed completed the tableau. Here, there were no rules, there was no school. The Christmas tree stayed up until summer, and Valium was eaten like Pez. And when things got dull, there was always the vintage electroshock therapy machine under the stairs….
Running with Scissors is at turns foul and harrowing, compelling and maniacally funny. But above all, it chronicles an ordinary boy’s survival under the most extraordinary circumstances.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Discovered in the attic where she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.
In 1942, as Nazis occupied Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. Anne’s account offers a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
An unusual memoir done in the form of a graphic novel by a cult favorite comic artist offers a darkly funny family portrait that details her relationship with her father, a historic preservation expert dedicated to restoring the family’s Victorian home, funeral home director, high-school English teacher, and closeted homosexual.
All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.
Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren’t Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.
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.
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.
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.
