Classes
Read On! NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is upon us! NaNoWriMo (pronounced “nah-no-wry-mow”) happens every November and is a time when participants attempt to write a novel (or 50,000 words) between November 1st and 30th.
If you’ve ever thought, “I could/should write a book,” now’s your chance! We have an entire month focused on just that. With two write-in sessions each week in November – Mondays from 6-9 PM and Saturdays from 9 AM-Noon (except November 30th), you can join other ambitious writers on your journey.
These sessions are pretty low-key. We’ll have coffee and mints for inspiration and one of our staff will moderate. Moderation for a write-in session may sound strange, but it’s pretty fun. It includes pep-talks, word sprints (trying to reach a word count goal in a set amount of time), and writing prompts (that are often random quotes, items, or ideas you can include in your writing). Plus, write-ins give you a group of people willing to discuss random or strange plot points.
NaNoWriMo is full of people with different goals, so come write with us even if you don’t want to write 50,000 words in a month.
This Thursday teens will get to try their hand at solving the puzzles in this year’s Escape Room. Teens need to sign up for a time to go through the room, but there are still a handful of spots left. Their choices are 4:30, 6:00, or 7:30 PM.
Next Thursday at 6:30 PM adults can hang out with me and learn how to knit! We’ll start a washcloth project and learn the basics of casting on, the knit stitch, the purl stitch, and casting off. Anyone interested should bring a skein of 100% cotton yarn (Sugar ‘n Cream or Peaches & Creme are good choices) and size 7 knitting needles. Also, your washcloths might look a mess. And that’s okay. Knitting can be tricky at first.
Read On! Read In Any Format
Many years ago, back when I was a Teen Services Librarian, I told my teens signing up for Summer Reading that I didn’t care what they read during the summer. I only cared that they read something. My standard line was something like, “you can read traditional books, ebooks, audiobooks, comic books, magazines, newspapers, wordy websites, cereal boxes, or billboards. Just read.”
My views are the same now that I’m a Library Director and a parent. As you and your family work through our Summer Reading time records and/or activity sheets, feel free to read in any format you want. We truly don’t care.
This summer, my kids have to read for 30 minutes before they can watch TV or play on anything with a screen. When they grumbled about reading being boring, I told them something similar to the line I used with my teens. My son’s eyes immediately lit up. “Really, Mom? We can listen to audiobooks? Isn’t that cheating?” Nope. Not even close.
While they’re busy playing with Legos and listening to “The Magic Treehouse” books or studying the pictures in the “My Little Pony” or “Batman” comics, they’re sharpening their reading skills and getting all the benefits of reading a traditional chapter book. Plus, they’re learning that reading is fun!
In fact, allowing my kids to choose what they read and in what format has prompted my son to say four words that I was afraid he would never utter. This weekend, we were getting ready to watch a movie when he asked, “can I read instead?”
Don’t miss this week’s Summer Reading Events:
Monday at 6:30 PM: Intro to Computers for ages 18+
Tuesday at 10 AM and 2 PM: Mad Science’s Destination Moon for ages 5 – 11
Wednesday at 10:30 AM: Storytime for ages 0 – 4
Wednesday at Noon: Free lunch for kids and teens
Thursday at 6:30 PM: Silent Library Games for ages 12 – 18
Read On! Adult Literacy
We’re still working on the final wording for our Strategic Plan, but some of the projects we want to tackle are too important to wait until the Plan is fully complete. Two of those projects are the Adult Literacy and English Language Learning programs.
Haley, our point person for both programs, is in the process of selecting the curriculum we will use for both programs. While she’s working on that, we have begun our search for students. That’s where you come in, dear reader.
If you know of anyone who wants some one-on-one tutoring to strengthen their reading or literacy skills, please send them our way. We are a judgement-free space at the library. We don’t care why they need help, we just want to help.
Also, if you know of anyone who wants one-on-one tutoring to learn English, please send them our way. We simply want to help anyone who wants it.
Eventually, when we have students, we’ll also be searching for tutors, so keep that in mind.
And finally, as part of our English Language Learning, we’ll come full-circle to help English speakers who are interested in learning another language. We’re looking for languages of interest and students of those languages so that we can start small conversation groups. Likely, they’ll meet on a Monday evening and consist of a group of people speaking entirely in Spanish, Vietnamese, etc.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to encourage prospective students to reach out, consider volunteering to help those students, and languages you’re interested in learning, languages you’re proficient in speaking, and whether you’re willing to spend some time with us to make these programs successful.
Feel free to call the library (918) 825-0777 and ask for me or Haley if you’d like more information.
Read On! Beginnings
Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash
The new year is upon us! If you’re like most people, the new year is a time of new beginnings. A time when we wipe the slate clean. A time when we decide/resolve to try new things, hone your skills, and improve your life.
Lucky for you, your library can make achieving these goals easier and a lot less expensive. We are your source for resolution resources!
Want to learn a new skill? Try our DIY online resources. They cover everything from home maintenance and repair to crafting how-tos. The written instructions include detailed pictures and the video instructions are as good as YouTube but without commercials.
Want to learn a new language? Check out Mango through your computer or their app. With more than 70 languages to choose from, you’re sure to find something fun to learn. Our nonfiction collection (specifically the 400s) also includes several languages.
Want to get organized and declutter your home? Our nonfiction collection (specifically the 648 area) has you covered! We have popular titles like “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and more generalized titles that will help get you started.
Want to eat healthier? Or perfect a new style of cooking? We have cookbooks for days! They range from specialized diet cooking to cookbooks by famous chefs.
We even have resources for money management, exercise, etc. And of course, we have plenty of material for even the most strenuous reading challenges!
If your goals for 2019 include making friends or being more social, don’t miss out on our adult workshops and events. Join us the second Thurs. of each month (Feb. through Apr.) at 7 PM for a mixture of speakers and crafts. Don’t forget about our Books and Brews Club the 1st Sat. of each month at Fat Toad Brewing! We’ll discuss “Soulless” by Gail Carriger this Sat.