Spring into the library this March!

It’s that time of year again. Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead this weekend and don’t be late for any library programs this week.

Library and Lunch will be held this Tuesday, March 11 at 12 p.m. for Sara Paretsky’s “Bleeding Kansas”.  It’s the Kansas Reads 2014 pick and I didn’t tell the group yet but I was on the committee to pick it this year. It was selected through survey across the state by librarians and library folk.  As for Library and Lunch we look for new members all the time so even if you haven’t read the book come and join in on the conversation. 

If you can’t make it over the lunch hour, check out Book Chat on Thursday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss books you’re currently reading.  If new books have come in that week, we let you browse the books that are about to hit the new book shelf.  For those who like the culinary arts better, check out Recipe Swap on the last Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.  This month’s theme is loosely breakfast based. I recently discovered the wonders of coconut milk and have coconut cream sodas on the brain.

During spring break we have a slew of activities for the kids. On Monday, March 17 at 2 p.m. we will be showing a movie for teens. A 2013 movie about two characters that become targets of the Capitol after their victory sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.  There will be an animated movie on Wednesday March 19 at 2 p.m. for the kids.  Looms will be on Thursday, March 20 at 2 p.m.  Come to the library to use colorful rubber bans to create different patterned bracelets or rings. Those are just two examples. You can make other items as well.  If you have your own Rainbow Loom bring it! And lastly Board Games will be played on Friday, March 21 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The library's magazine to subscription began late last fall.  Patrons now have access to full color, interactive digital magazines that can be downloaded and read on mobile devices, home computers, or one of the library's computers.  There are no waiting lists especially for the brand new issue and there's no need to return any magazine issue once it has been checked out.  They can be held on a device until it is deleted.  There’s a really cool feature where you can bookmark aka ‘favorite’ pages. So if there’s a page you’d like to read later on you can do so. It’s a stellar feature.

Creating an account has two parts to it. First you create a library Zinio account to check out and a personal Zinio reading account to download and read your magazines.  Directions can be found on our website.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask us at the circulation desk.

At the end of the month in collaboration with SCCC/ATS Library we will be celebrating National Women's History Month with a panel discussion of prominent women who serve our community. It will be held here at Liberal Memorial Library on Wednesday, March 26 at 12 p.m.  We'll also be showing a movie on Thursday, March 13 at 5:45 p.m., a 1992 movie about two sisters who join the first female professional baseball team. Check out Debbie’s spectacular Women of Kansas alcove when you’re at the circulation desk!

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. See you at the library this month!

Roll into the library in the New Year

Happy New Year! The library has exciting programs in the works this year.

 The next Library and Lunch will be held on Tuesday, January 15 at 12 p.m. “A gift of hope” by Danielle Steel will be discussed. In this non-fiction work, Steel shows how she transformed the pain of losing her son into a campaign of service that enriched her life beyond what she could imagine.  For eleven years she took to the streets with a small team to help the homeless of San Francisco.

While you're at the library this year, make sure to go on a blind date with a book. Grab a title that you wouldn't normally take off the shelf whether it is non-fiction, fantasy, science fiction, or mystery. Try something new.

Book Chat will meet on Thursday, January 17 at 6:30 p.m. Come down to discuss what books you are currently reading and discover what new books have hit the shelves.

The Kansas Center for the Book pick this year is “Then We Came to the End: A Novel” by Joshua Ferris. The characters in this wickedly funny, big-hearted novel about life in the office cope with a downturn in the time-honored way: through gossip, secret romance, elaborate pranks, and increasingly frequent coffee breaks.  By day they compete for the best office furniture left behind and try to make sense of the mysterious pro-bono ad campaign that is their only remaining ‘work’.  The library will be having a special book discussion sometime this year. Stay tuned.

The Gardening Club resumes this month on Tuesday, January 15 at 6:30 p.m. They meet every third Tuesday of the month.  Someone who has not come up with any New Year Resolutions this year is curious to hear the group’s suggestions on growing kitchen herbs.

A new program this month Recipe Swap will hold its first meet on Monday, January 28 at 6:30 p.m. Join us at the library to share your favorite recipe with fellow cooks and bakers. Whether you are a newbie or a veteran to the kitchen world, come down and share your experiences with others who share your passion.

The next session for middle and high schoolers will be a Teen Pizza Party on Thursday, January 24 at 4 p.m. Stop by the library to hang out after school.

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. Make a resolution to visit your library this year!

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!