Kansas Reads to Preschoolers is Here!

 Preparations are now complete for the celebration of the 8^th annual Kansas Reads to Preschoolers event.  Daycares and preschool settings will be hearing the story Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn as library staffers tour Liberal making visits this week.

 Youngsters who come to the library for our special story times on Thursday will also hear the story along with taking part in some other fun activities, including a drawing for a copy of the book.  Even if you have never taken part in story time prior to November 15, please plan to join us.  The age groups and times are as follow: Infants birth through 18 months meet at 9:15; toddlers ages 19 months through 35 months meet at 9:55; preschoolers ages 3 to 5 meet from 10:30 to 11:15.  Story time sessions for the younger two groups last 20 minutes. 

 A wonderful time was had by all who attended our Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy dress-up party.  The young attendees looked ‘ magnifique’, as Fancy Nancy would say.  Watch our website or in-library publicity for upcoming fun events for children. 

On your next trip to the library, check out our tribute to veterans in the north alcove.  Even though today is Veterans’ Day, the display will remain in place for a couple of weeks.  Another thing to check out is our new circulation desk.  Installed just last week, staff members are still moving into drawers and cupboards and getting used to the new feel of things.  So far, everyone seems really pleased.

The glass display case in the hall is now housing one of the library’s 27 pre-literacy kits which were made possible about 9 years ago by a special populations grant.  These kits are designed to help parents, grandparents, and other significant adults work with children in learning or in reinforcing skills needed when they start kindergarten.  Housed in clear, plastic backpacks, these kits contain books and manipulatives centered around fun topics for little ones.  The kits also include a notebook offering suggestions on how to use the kit.   The notebook and many of the books featured in the kit are provided in Spanish as well as in English.   Parents, grandparents, and caregivers have lots of great ideas themselves, so the notebook acts as a jumping off point to get started with the kit.  In the Youth Pages tab across the top of the library web page, select kid’s corner then scroll down on the left to see a description of each of the kits or stop by the library and look at the binder that features each kit.   Besides being educational, the kits are a lot of fun!!

Some patrons may not be aware that the library purchases all the nominated books for the William Allen White award annually.  This award is the Kansas state award in children’s literature.  Kansas school children get the opportunity to vote for the winner in one of two categories: grades 3 to 5 and grades 6 to 8.  In order to vote, a student has to have read at least two titles from one or the other of the lists.  These are always excellent reading as attested to by the fact that lots of adults also try to read through the titles before the award is announced.  The authors of the nominated books must confirm that they will attend the award ceremony should their book win.  This year there was a bit of a problem getting confirmations due to so many publishing companies being located on the east coast in the path of Hurricane Sandy.  The event organizers have promised an official final list by November 12.  The bookmark list that is located with the display of these books on the ledge by the Children’s Desk may be altered after the twelfth.  Please ask if you need assistance in locating the books. 

 In conclusion, if you failed to call the library to line up a visit to your home daycare, it’s not too late to give us a call.  Have a happy Veterans’ Day and we’ll see you at Memorial Library!

Upcoming events week of November 11

Monday, November 12 – Friday November 16 KANSAS READS TO PRESCHOOLERS

Tuesday, November 13          

 10 a.m.            Wii for Adults

10 a.m.            Beginning Computer (call for reservation)

  Noon                Library & Lunch.  If you are interested in the Dust Bowl years, the featured
                         book is The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan.

Wednesday, November 14    

 9:30                 Spanish Beginning Computer (call for reservation)

Thursday, November 15  

  9:15                 Lapsit Story time

  9:55                 Toddle-in Story time

   10:30               Preschool Story time

4:30                 Chess – beginners & experienced players welcome

 6:30                 Book Chat – come discuss the new books you are reading.

                                                                 

Lots of Activities for Little Ones

The library joined in commemorating Fire Prevention Week Oct 7 – 13. Some of our young patrons tried on fire gear and had their pictures taken. Staff members joined in as well. During time with the little ones and their parents/caregivers, information was shared about library resources for fire safety. One of the 26 pre-literacy kits the library is titled Fire Safety. Chief Kelly Kirk of the Liberal Fire Department provided the final approval for materials that went into this kit

The National Fire Protection Association has just come out with a book to celebrate Sparky’s 60^th birthday entitled Sparky the Fire Dog. It provides good information in a non-frightening manner and also incorporates some letter recognition to spell out a special message along the edge of the pages. The library was fortunate to receive some materials geared to children from the Seward County Fire Department which were distributed at our preschool story times during the week.

The next few weeks will feature lots of things at the library for little ones. The biggest event is the 8^th Annual Kansas Reads to Preschoolers, which will take place the week of November 12. If you are unfamiliar with this event, a special committee chooses a book annually that is read to as many preschoolers across the state as possible.  Here at Memorial Library that includes programs that take place at the library, as well as journeying with our special story, Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn,  to preschools and to daycares, both the large ones and smaller home daycares.  The latter category is the one in which readers can provide us some assistance.  If you know of a home daycare provider who would like to have someone from the library come and read to the little ones in her care some time during the week, please have her phone the library (626-0180, ext. 4).  Library staff is always excited to make contact with the wonderful youngsters throughout the community.

Please note that our story times have resumed and will meet October 18 and November 1, 8, 15, and 29.  This is a fun time for little ones and their parents as well.  Check our website or phone the library for times.  November 15 is the day Lola Loves Stories will be shared in the library.  There are always more fun things than just the story library staffers read at their preschool earlier in the week, so plan to come and share the fun

It’s dress up time again!  Fancy Nancy will be held at the library on Saturday, November 3, from 10 to 11:30.  This is a fun time for children ages 4 through 7 to put on their fancy clothes and come down to our party.  This party will feature the posh puppy, so each child will celebrate the event by bringing their own plush puppy from home.  There will be a runway walk for the children to model their attire and show off their plush puppies.  Next we will share the story, do some puppy-themed crafts, and have a ‘people’ snack before the party concludes.  Reservations open October 18.  Either the children’s desk or the circulation desk can assist in getting your child signed up for this event.  As always, this is a popular program with limited spots available. If you find your child cannot attend once you’ve made the reservation, please give us a call and cancel so that another child can enjoy the event.

Another popular event for children here at the library is our annual Gingerbread House Decorating.  We will be hosting this once again during the first part of December.  Children 4 through 11 may make reservations for this event.  Watch the library website or in-library signage for dates and times. 

When young children tour the library, I always ask them, “Who do you think owns the library?”  Invariably, a lot of them respond, “You”, to which I am then able to say, “No, but you do.”  Then we talk a bit about the taxes that support our library.  Liberal has a wonderful facility in this library--don’t pass up the opportunity to check out its resources.  See you at Memorial Library!

Don't forget this week's events.  For our NASA series, Aaron Johnson from the National Weather Service in Dodge City will present a program on the Earth's atmosphere on Monday, October 15, at 4 p.m.  Thursday afternoon, October 18, is Chess from 4:30 to 5:30.  Anyone interested may attend these events.

Christmas Programs

Greetings from amidst the Christmastime bustle! Things have been moving right along here with decorating the library, the Redskin Singers coming to perform, and the Fancy Nancy Spendiferous Brunch & Soiree'. Two more events are approaching. One is the library's annual Gingerbread House decorating. New and exciting items are being added to the great assortment of goodies participants can use to create their own unique house. Everything is provided. Youngsters ages 4 to 11 are invited to take part. The event will take place on Saturday, December 17, starting at 9:30 a.m. This is a reservation activity, so give the library a call to reserve a spot for your child. Don't miss out on a good time! The second event is Poppa D. Clown's Magical Christmas. This is a free program that will take place in the Children's Library on Wednesday, December 21, at 2 p.m. The program will be approximately 45 minutes in length. Plan to come and join in the fun!

A number of new Christmas titles have been added to our collection in the last few weeks. Here is a sampling. Olivier Dunrea, best known for the Gossie & Friends series, brings us A Christmas Tree for Pyn. In spite of Pyn's father's objections, she manages to get him to help her find the perfect Christmas tree, and in the process forges a closer relationship with him. This is a heartwarming story indeed.

The Christmas story is beautifully told in Lauren Thompson's One Starry Night. All sorts of animals watch over their young as Mary & Joseph watch over their baby boy, Jesus.

Jennifer Holm provides another episode of her famous Babymouse series with A Very Babymouse Christmas. This series is for chapter book readers.

Home for Christmas is another of Jan Brett's books with her beautifully decorated signature borders. In this tale, Rollo the troll gets bored doing chores and runs off to spend some time on the tundra with various animals who live there. Finally he decides that he wants to be home for Christmas, even if it means he will have to behave better than he has in the past.

For those who are fans of non-fiction, check out Franklin and Winston: A Christmas that Changed the World by Douglas Wood. Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, these two great world leaders met at the White House at Christmastime to decide how best to face the threats which were occurring worldwide. This was the beginning of an alliance between the United States and Great Britain. The book shows the human side of these gentlemen as they got to know each other better during that Christmas season.

A fiction story based on a true event is The Lighthouse Christmas by Toni Buzzeo, a story of a family facing hardship in their newly assigned, isolated lighthouse post but how a special flight service, the Flying Santa Service, saves Christmas for the family. Here's a bit for information about that service. "In 1929, the first year of the Great Depression, aviation pioneer Captain William Wincapaw began the tradition of "The Flying Santa." Also known as the "Santa of the Lighthouses," Wincapaw oversaw flying operations for the Curtiss Flying Service at Rockland, Maine. He had a great deal of admiration for lighthouse keepers and their families, who served in isolated and inhospitable locations. On the morning of December 25, 1929, Wincapaw loaded his aircraft with a dozen packages of Christmas gifts and delivered them to a number of local lighthouses. By 1933, the Flying Santa program was so well received that Wincapaw expanded it to include ninety-one lighthouses throughout Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Wincapaw began to dress as Santa and he enlisted his son, Bill, Jr., to help pilot some of the flights." Since this title was checked out and exact facts could not be obtained from the back of the book, this information was taken from the Coast Guard Compass, which is the official blog of the U. S. Coast Guard.

Christmas Eve at the Mellops' by Tomi Ungerer is the story of the four Mellop brothers who each had the idea to provide their family with a Christmas tree. Now the family must decide what to do with four trees.

Our collection features many of the old Christmas standards, such as Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas and 'Twas the Day Before Christmas, which is the story of the poem The Night Before Christmas. In addition, there are a lot of books following the Night Before Christmas format--The Redneck Night Before Christmas, The Librarian's Night Before Christmas, and The Barnyard Night Before Christmas. A quick perusal of our card catalog will bring up a wealth of Christmas titles to be enjoyed. Stop by and check them out, as well as our Christmas activities. See you at Memorial Library!

Make a stop at library this holiday season

Vacances heureuses mes amis. C'est un beau temps pour visiter la bibliotheque!

The Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Brunch and Soiree will be held on Saturday, December 3 at 9:15 a.m. for gals and lads ages four to eight. Reservations (are required and) can be made over the telephone or by stopping by the library as spaces are limited. Gals and lads are invited to come bedecked in their most festive holiday attire for a marvelous holly jolly time.

This will be the third year for this wildly popular event. Last year's attendees arrived sporting frills, tiaras, and feather boas. The event features exceptional Fancy Nancy stories, extraordinary crafts, and exquisite refreshments. From years past, everyone has a glamorous time. The bedazzled program looks magnifique!

The library is excited to once again welcome the Redskin Singers for their annual holiday appearance on Thursday, December at 7 p.m. in the library. This year, we welcome one of our staffers as part of the singing entourage. Light refreshments will be served.

Library and Lunch will be held on Tuesday, December 13 at noon for Debbie Macomber's Call Me Mrs. Miracle. Emily Merkle works in a toy department at Finley's a family owned department store in the Big Apple and her boss is none other than the owner's son. The family needs a miracle to keep the business afloat. Holly Larson on the other hand needs a miracle for her eight-year-old nephew Gabe, whose father won't be home for Christmas. Maybe Mrs. Miracle (Emily Merkle) will play a role in bringing the two together.

A current New York Times bestseller will be the first Library and Lunch pick for the New Year. Plenty of time to stop by and pick it up. The book discussion of The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes will be held on Tuesday, January 9 at noon. The English author had been short-listed for the Man Booker Prize three times in the past and became the winner this year for this particular book. It is narrated by Tony Webster who recalls how he and a circle of friends met Adrian Finn at school and vowed to be friends for life. He reflects on the paths he and his friends have taken.

The library invites young adults to Teen Gaming/Teen Reader's Advisory meetings on Thursday nights which will run every two weeks at 4 p.m. Upcoming dates include December 1, December 15, and December 29.

Book and Movie will take a brief hiatus during the month of December. The group will be back in full force the third Thursday in January for Didier van Cauwelaert's Hors de moi/Out of My Head translated from the French by Mark Polizzotti. There is a 2011 thriller film based on this 2003 French novel directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Queen, Bruno Ganz, and Frank Langella. Dr. Martin Harris awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife suddenly doesn't recognize him and another man has assumed his identity. With the help of a young woman he sets out to prove who he is.

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 this holiday season!