Mark Your Calendars – March 8th – Children’s Healthy Fun Fair

Pancake Day will soon be over and done with.  Later this week, you (and your kids) may feel like you have a spare tire around your midsection from eating 27 pancakes during the pancake eating contest.  While stuffing your face can be fun, I usually regret it and try to eat healthier.  This Saturday, you have a chance to learn everything about how to get and stay healthy in Liberal.  That means it is time for the eleventh annual Children’s Healthy Fun Fair.  

This year, the fair will be held on March 8^th from 10:00 to 1:00 at the Ag building at the Seward County Fairgrounds.  Just as in years past, the idea of the fair is to bring together all the organizations in the community who work towards improving the health of children and families in one easy place.  These organizations will be giving out information, giving tips and showing kids and their families through games and exhibits that being and staying healthy can be fun.

Since this is my first year doing the Children’s Healthy Fun Fair, I am really excited to see how it is coming together, and it is kind of amazing to see just how many organizations are working together to make this thing happen.   Of course, Liberal Memorial Library is going to have an area there (complete with Wii, so kids can dance, play and move to stay healthy), so stop by and say hello. 

Here’s how the Fun Fair works.  You walk in the door and you grab a bag from the welcome table.  You will probably collect so much information and giveaways from the tables that you need to make sure to have a bag.  Go around to each table, talk, ask questions, get information, and have fun.  Some of the tables have information, but some of them have games and demonstrations.  Once you get home, go through the information and try to use in in real life.  The goal of the Fair isn’t just to have fun, but to also educate the community and get them active and healthier.

You are probably wondering who is going to be there and what you can do.  Liberal Parks and Rec bring games for kids to play.  They take up a good part of the new section of the Ag Building with sports related activities that get kids moving.  USD480 comes out with different things for children to do.  They usually have their photo booth up and running, printing pictures out for the kids.  Southwest Medical Center will be there answering the question of whether or not you really wash your hands well enough, so if you think a quick rinse under cold water is enough, stop by and see how yucky your hands can really get.  SCCC Respiratory Technology brings in pig lungs to show how smoke can damage your lungs.  The Seward County Health Department and WIC will also be at the Fun Fair, so stop by their table and find out about the services that they offer.  Both Seward County and the City of Liberal are sending representatives from their police and fire departments to help families stay safe.  

There are so many more organizations that are coming, that I can’t name them all.  Plus, a little mystery might just want to make you go!  I promise that next year (after I have actually seen the Children’s Healthy Fun Fair in action) I will be able to describe what everyone does better.  But I can guarantee that families looking for something to do next Saturday will have a great time if they do attend.  

Children's Healthy Fun Fair

It’s that time of year again and you know what that means. The Children’s Healthy Fun Fair is coming up once again. On Saturday, March 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., lots of interested children, accompanied by their parents, will be making their way to the Ag Building on the Seward County Fairgrounds to join in the festivities. Each year the Fair offers fun activities, healthy snacks, great giveaways, and helpful information to attendees, all free of charge.

The event, which is geared for children from preschool to sixth grade, but open to all ages, focuses on the health and well-being of children through exhibits, activities, healthy snacks and lots of great information. It is open to the public with free admission.

The Children's Healthy Fun Fair started out in 2004 at the Liberal Memorial Library, but has grown so large over the years that it has moved to the Ag Building. The event has drawn over 30 participating agencies and 600-plus attendees.

Some of the activities have included fingerprinting with free fingerprint kits for parents to take home and complete for each of their children, basketball, bowling, X-box Kinect and Wii Fit.

All of these activities and information provided by the participants are intended to help the health and well-being of children not only physically, but to help them be aware of a healthy environmental surrounding as well.

Participants in the Children’s Healthy Fun Fair include: Seward County Health Dept., Southwest Guidance Center, PACT, SCCC/ATS Respiratory Therapy students, UMMAM, USD 480 preschool, Liberal Police Department, Liberal and Seward County Fire Departments, Liberal Parks & Rec, Saint Francis Community Services and many, many more.

For more information on the Children’s Healthy Fun Fair, you can contact the Library at (620) 626-0180.

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The Library will be holding its monthly Recipe Swap on Monday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Cooper Clark room. Every month we’ll have a different topic or theme. This month we’ll be searching for a little green in our recipes as we look ahead and focus on a meal for St. Patrick’s Day. We’ll be sharing our favorite recipes from the Emerald Isle – Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew and many others.

And even if you don’t have an Irish recipe one or not really interested in that type of cuisine, that’s fine. Come on down anyway and meet people who want to share their passion with you – cooking. Hope to see you there!

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And just a reminder, that we do have a Kindle Fire available for check out.
If you’ve always wanted to see what a tablet can do, here’s your chance to find out first hand. Here’s a great opportunity to check out the wonders of what a tablet can do. You can surf the web, read a book, watch a video and do so much more.

All you have to do is come down to the circulation desk and ask for the Kindle Fire. Borrowers have to be at least 18 years old and sign a borrowing agreement adhering to the Library’s policies and terms for the device. Once you’ve done all that, you’ve got 14 days to check out one of the coolest devices around. (And don’t forget, late fees do apply!)

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For the latest events and happenings at the Library, check out our webpage at www.lmlibrary.org or visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/lmlibrary.

National Nutrition Month

Now that everyone’s overcome the transition to daylight savings time, note that spring begins in just two days. Even though our winter was a rather mild one, for the most part, it will be nice to have a more steady diet of warm weather.

Looking back for just a moment, our Children’s Healthy Fun Fair, which took place on March 3, was a major success with just shy of 900 people attending. Everyone seemed to have a good time. Many of the exhibitors reported running out of supplies before the event concluded, or having to dash back to their office for more. If you missed the event, mark March 2, 2013, on your calendar for the Tenth Annual Children’s Healthy Fun Fair.

The Children’s Healthy Fun Fair is passed, but it is still National Nutrition Month. Let’s take a look at information the American Heart Association released in March of 2011, “Today, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate in 1963. With good reason, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking.

“Among children today, obesity is causing a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood. These include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels. There are also psychological effects: Obese children are more prone to low self-esteem, negative body image and depression.

“Excess weight at young ages has been linked to higher and earlier death rates in adulthood. Perhaps one of the most sobering statements regarding the severity of the childhood obesity epidemic came from former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, who characterized the threat as follows:“Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents."

The children’s library has a number of good books on the subject of nutrition. Among them are: Good Enough to Eat – A Kid’s Guide to Food and Nutrition by Lizzy Rockwell, Eat the Right Stuff: Food Facts by Catherine Reef, Staying Healthy, Eating Right by Alice McGinty, and Too Fat? Too Thin: Healthy Eating Handbook by Melissa Sayer.

Parents in search of information will find a number of resources in the adult collection, among them Raising Low-Fat Kids in a High-Fat World by Judith Shaw. Dr. Dean Ornish’s endorsement on the cover of the book reads, “A major book for every parent, an invaluable companion. Judith Shaw quickly and simply leads the way through the maze of lower fat confusion. I highly recommend this book.”

K-State Research & Extension, Seward County spends time in the classrooms and at some of the after school programs teaching nutrition to children. In addition, Snack Attack, which is a nutrition education program provided through this library, takes place monthly at the Rec Center. So if your children come home talking about something they learned about nutrition, take a moment to listen and answer any questions on points that need clarification or expanding on. Remember, their future health depends on it!

Summer reading is the next big project in the children’s library. A couple of workshop opportunities are available for library staff to get some fresh ideas to bring back for this event. The dates will be May 29 through June 29, with sign up May 21-26. It’s always fun to visit the schools with a presentation about the program. Students are then given an information slip about the program. Be watching for that in your student’s backpack in early May.

Two more storytime dates remain for the little ones. Those dates are April 5 and April 19. New children are welcome any time during the session. In addition, our summer reading program includes a Wee Ones group for birth to age 3 and a Preschool group for 3’s and 4’s and those entering kindergarten in the fall. More information will be available soon in the library and on our website. Stop in real soon—new materials are arriving daily, so you’re bound to find something you like. See you at Memorial Library!

Children's Healthy Fun Fair Coming Soon

Greetings readers! Hopefully by now the logo which appears with this column has become familiar to many residents of this community. It means that the Children’s Healthy Fun Fair is coming up once again. On Saturday, March 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., lots of interested children, accompanied by their parents, will be making their way to the Ag Building on the Seward County Fairgrounds to join in the festivities. Each year the fair offers fun activities, healthy snacks, great giveaways, and helpful information to attendees, all free of charge.

A number of agencies will be in attendance this year including Southwest Medical Center, Southwest Guidance Center, PACT, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Head Start, Smart Start, UMMAM, USD 480 preschool, Liberal Police Department, Liberal and Seward County Fire Departments, Liberal Parks & Rec, and many, many more. A must-visit area at the fair includes fingerprinting by the police department with fingerprint kits for parents to take home and record pertinent information about each of their children. Another fun stop will be the Seward County Community College Respiratory Therapy area which will include a respiring pig lung. Come watch it ‘breathe’. Parks & Rec has a brand new X-box Connect which they will have at the fair. This is a game that does not require controls. It goes by the movement of the kids who are playing. Some of the games that go with it require a lot of physical movement, so it is good for kids to burn off excess energy. The library will invite kids to exercise as well with their Wii Fit. For the younger ones, there will be an opportunity to do a simple craft project connected to our upcoming Summer Reading Program. Seward County Health and USD 480 preschool always have lots of neat activities going on at their booths. It’s a good idea to just start at one end of the fair and work your way all the way around to everyone so that you don’t miss a thing!

This year’s fair will feature the Sure Sight Vision Screener, which will be manned by a trained Lions Club International member from the eastern side of the state. This is a valuable vision screening tool which provides non-invasive screening to check preschoolers for early visual problems. It allows for vision screening without feedback from the child who is being screened, meaning it can be used even with smaller children. Make sure that you stop by and check it out. In addition to this machine being available at the Children’s Healthy Fun Fair, the library will host a special storytime beginning at 3:45 on Friday, March 2. Following the storytime, parents will have an opportunity to have their screened. This is a really good opportunity for families who might not be able to attend the fair.

There is truly a lot of excitement about the fun fair and the potential it has to inform and educate the public in a really fun way. Since the Home Show will be going on in the Event Center, families can easily take in both events since they are in such close proximity to one another.

In closing, mention should be made about the library’s Valentine promotion which took place from February 1 to February 14. Patrons were asked to share what book they loved by writing it on a heart. They were then entered into a drawing for some sweet prizes. Winners of those prizes included:

Boxes of chocolate: Carolyn L. and Lynn S.; Plush Puppy: Wendy D.; Plush Monkey: Micayla L.; and Plush Penguin: Angelica M. Winners, be sure to stop by and pick up your prizes, if you have not already done so. National Library Week is coming up in April. Come on in check out the exciting things that will be going on then. See you at Memorial Library!

Children's Health Fun Fair & other programs

Another Children's Healthy Fun Fair is on the records. What a successful event it was with over 600 people coming through our doors in the four-hour period. Hats off to all the people who gave of their time to help out at the fair. If those of you who attended know of something else you would like to see offered, we are always open to suggestions. Stop by the library, or email us with your ideas to make our fair even better and mark your calendars for March 3, 2012.

Spring forward...Hope everyone remembers the changing of the clocks. This is when an hour of sleep is 'snatched' away, leaving many of us with what surely feels like jet lag! Though daylight time was first begun in the United States in 1918, it didn't achieve much popularity and eventually states were allowed to decide for themselves about its observance. As time went on, every state in the union implemented this practice, with the exception of Arizona and Hawaii. The requirement of date to commence and date to cease is uniform. Those dates are currently further apart from the typical first Sunday in April start to last Sunday of October end that the United States used to from 1987 to 2006. This year we will have daylight savings time until Sunday, November 6. The time is always adjusted at 2 a.m. local time.

Another change the week is bringing for library patrons is a glimpse of our new shelving in the adult fiction area. The library reopened following five days of closure for transferring of books from the old shelving, muscling those shelves out of the way and replacing them with the new ones, then reshelving the books, in proper order, of course! Even if you're not a fan of adult fiction, stop by and take a look at how nice the shelving looks.

The arrival of spring break drives home the point that the school year is fast drawing to a close. That means that the second graders will be making their annual spring pilgrimage to the library to learn how to find their way around and get the information they will be needing as they move through the school years. That also means the library will be gearing up for our summer reading program. If your children have never participated, please consider taking part in One World, Many Stories Summer Reading 2011, with sign up the week of May 23 and the five-week program beginning on May 31. We are already working to line up some interesting presenters to share information about their countries of origin at our special programs. Our crafts for the various age groups will reflect items from other countries as well. This is a no-pressure program. Your child may take part in as little or as much as he/she chooses. Information will come home from school with your student some time in May; but if you have any questions at all, give us a call.

A few things coming up in the children's library include our March After School Club which will feature Amelia Bedelia. This program is a fun time for kids kindergarten through the fourth grade, starting at 4 p.m. on the 29th. Most kids really enjoy the antics of Amelia Bedelia as she uses her logic to manage the Rogers household. Story time parents, please note that the next session of story time will be Thursday, March 31. See you at Memorial Library!

Spring into the the library this spring

Spring fever is starting to hit. About three weeks early. What do you do to treat your spring fever? Suggestions include to add flowers to your home or office, take a walk in the mid-afternoon, wear light clothing, add some fruit to your diet, shop!, and to stay busy. Stay busy by tackling a new project. Stay busy by visiting your local library to tackle that project or stop by one of the activities at the library.
The 8th annual Children's Healthy Fun fair will be held at the Fairgrounds from on Saturday, March 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Computer classes started up again a few weeks ago. Computer classes in English are every Tuesday at 9 a.m. and computer classes in Spanish are every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Reservations are needed so call or stop by the circulation desk to reserve your spot.

The library received a grant to replace fiction shelving in the adult area of the library. The library will be closed Monday, March 7 until Friday, March 11 as staff get underway in relocating the fiction books, taking down the old shelves, putting the new shelves up, and getting the area back in order. The library will be open on Saturday, March 12 at 9 a.m. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

If you have items that need to be returned to the library that week, return them to the book-drops. All items may be placed in the book-drops. All activities at the library are canceled for the week.
The week will be full of books, pancakes, and paczki.

Due to the library being closed the second week of March, Library and Lunch is rescheduled for a special date, Tuesday, March 15 at noon as we discuss a special book, the Kansas Reads 2011 pick by the Kansas Center for the Book, 'What Kansas Means to Me' edited by Thomas Fox Averill.

The book consists of seventeen selections put into perspective by the editor's headnotes and introductory essay. The essays and poems are arranged from the earliest 1910s to the most recent 1990s. The book is lead by historian Carl Becker's classic 1910 essay 'Kansas' and the writers try to map the spiritual topography of Kansas and explain why this particular patch of prairie is so dear with the conviction that Kansas represents something powerful, significant, and noteworthy. So join us on Tuesday, March 15 at noon for the discussion.

The Book and Movie gang will meet on Thursday, March 17 at 6 p.m. for Kurt Eichenwald's 'The Informant.' "The FBI was ready to take down America's most politically powerful corporation. But there was one thing they didn't count on." reads the cover of this true crime story. Eichenwald, an investigative reporter, covered the story for the New York Times. A bizarre financial scandal with quite a few plot twists. A willing witness to a vast international price-fixing company. The recorded tapes should have cinched the case but the star witness was manipulative, deceitful, and unstable.

Add a biography to that spring list! Check out the latest book display in the adult area on presidential and founding fathers biographies and answer the question of 'Who's my favorite president?' I like several yet I have a fondness for Jemmy "James" Madison after hanging out with him for four years (my department was named for him) during college. Yet founding father Ben Franklin has my heart after forming the first public lending library in America.

As always, for the latest library programming take a peek at the library website or grab a newsletter from the circulation desk. Stay tuned and connected through our social media pages. If you have any questions or suggestions about books or programs don't hesitate to ask. Hope to see you at the library!

Children's Healthy Fun Fair

Excitement is mounting for the upcoming Children's Healthy Fun Fair. This will be the eighth year for this annual event. Hard to imagine that something that started out with a dedicated group of agencies back in 2004 has grown to such a marvelous event. And that dedicated group is still involved with the fair!

If you have never attended, here's what you can expect. Over 30 agencies come together to offer you the latest information for the health and wellbeing of the children in your life. Some of the agencies participating include Parents and Children Together, both the Liberal and Seward County Fire Departments, Southwest Medical Center, Southwest Guidance Center, Liberal Police Department, WIC and some other folks from the County Health Department, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Smart Start of Southwest Kansas, and many, many more.

The event takes place on Saturday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ag Building on the Seward County Fairgrounds. This is the same weekend as the 2011 B107.5 Springfest Home & Fun Show at the Event Center, as well as the preliminary events for Pancake Day, so you can keep everyone in the family really involved by going from one building to the other.

Our healthy fun fair exhibitors have put together lots of great information for parents. While parents are gathering that information and talking with exhibitors, children can do some fun crafts at some of our tables, put together a healthy snack at another, and see how they measure up in the fitness challenge at the Liberal Parks & Rec booth. Strolling animal characters add to the fun of the fair as well. One can personally learned a lot about many organizations in town they are not familiar with, so it is worth your while to stop for a moment and visit with the exhibitors. You never know when you will be in need of assistance from their agency. Then you'll know just who to call.

A resource many Kansans do not know about is Kansas Health Online.The goal of Kansas Health Online is to empower Kansans to make more informed health care decisions. They strive to provide helpful information in an easy to understand way.
Here is what you will find on Kansas Health Online:

• compare hospitals
• find doctors
• compare health plans
• analyze symptoms
• get the latest information on medical conditions
• make healthy lifestyle choices
• learn more about health policy

To access this service, go to www.kansashealthonline.org. Stop by the library's booth at the fun fair for some great handouts provided by Kansas Health Online.

The library offers lots of resources for people concerned about their own health or that of their children by way of nutrition information, exercise options, cookbooks, and the like. There are even a number of children's fiction picture books that help drive home the message of better lifestyle choices in a fun way. These titles include: The Gulps by Rosemary Wells, Showdown at the Food Pyramid by Rex Barron, Burger Boy by Alan Durant, IQ Gets Fit by Mary Ann Fraser,Get Up and Go by Nancy Carlson, and Happy, Healthy Monsters: Get Moving with Grover by Abigail Tabby. In addition, our non-fiction section has a number of great cookbooks geared to cooking with youngsters that feature healthy recipe options.

The library collection contains a four-book set put out by U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Diabetes Translation, Native Diabetes Wellness Program, that centers around diabetes awareness. These titles, by Georgia Perez include Through the Eyes of the Eagle, Knees Lifted High, Plate Full of Color, and Tricky Treats.

Even if you don't have children at home, your life is probably touched in some way by children, be it as a grandparent, a caregiver, a church worker, or a neighbor. So come on out to the Ag Building and see what we have to offer. Plan to take in all the events going on at the Event Center and the Ag Building on March 5. See you at the Children's Healthy Fun Fair and at Memorial Library!