By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas inside the MJB Library. Stop in and enjoy the Festival of Trees. In addition, the kids’ area is festively decorated. 

Remember that the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will be hosting a bake sale on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the library. Kids are encouraged to stop in on Dec. 13 as well for a special craft project. 

We have plenty of activities planned for youth during December. On Wednesday, Dec. 3, LEGO Mania will be at 2 p.m. Creation Corner will be on Wednesday, Dec. 17, also at 2 p.m. Our weekly preschool story hour will be each Friday beginning at 10 a.m. 

The Between the Covers Book Club will be on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. This month, members will be sharing a book they enjoyed with the group. A reminder that the Reads Well With Others Evening Book Club will meet a week early due to Christmas. The group will meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec/ 16, to discuss “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach. 

Cribbage Club will meet each Monday from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. Wednesday mornings from 9-11 a.m. are reserved for Bridge Club. Players of all ability levels are invited to join. 

Card Making Club meets on Thursday, Dec. 18, from 9-11 a.m. to create unique, handmade greeting cards. Led by Judi Zimmerline, this creative group meets monthly in the Taylor Meeting Room. All supplies are provided. A $5 fee is requested to cover the cost of materials. 

At 6:30 p.m., the Cookbook Club will meet on Thursday, Dec. 18, for its monthly meeting. This month will be a cookie exchange. Each person should bring a dozen cookies and the recipe.  

Friends of the Guthrie Center Library 

**Bake Sale Items Needed**  The Friends of the Guthrie Center Library are organizing a Bake Sale fundraiser for the Library and Friends of the Library on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please deliver baked goods that do not require refrigeration on Friday, Dec. 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To inspire creative ideas for what to bring, here are some suggested items: pies, bars, cookies, muffins, snack mix, breads, rolls and jellies. Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will have their next meeting on Monday, Jan. 5 at 6:15 p.m. Anyone who is interested in joining the group is invited to attend.  

Patrons are reminded that the library will have some holiday closures. MJB Library will be closed on Dec. 24 and 25 for Christmas. Additionally, the library will close at 3 p.m. on Dec. 31 and will be closed on Jan. 1. 

Cass Pioneers 4-H Club all got involved in decorating their tree at the MJB Library.

Cass Pioneers 4-H Club members pose with their decorated tree for the MJB Library Festival of Trees.

Cass Pioneers 4-H Club spent a morning at the library getting in the Christmas Spirit.

Library Director Jerri Hawkins and Library Aide Lynda Menefee are decorating the library front window for Christmas. The job is so much more than books.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

In a few days, families will be gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving. We look forward to family time, and while we are thankful for the chance to all be together, sometimes all that togetherness can be a lot. Here is a reason for gratitude. In the event that all that family time becomes overwhelming, the library has everything you need to keep your family entertained. 

In case you need family activities to keep everyone engaged and off their phones, consider checking out a jigsaw puzzle. We have a large selection of different sizes and difficulty levels. A wide variety of board games are available to check out for your family game time. We have games that are appropriate for all ages and interest levels.  

If you are hosting a lot of small children, stop in and get some picture books. Older kids can read to the younger children or to the entire family. We have read along books and playaways for screen-free entertainment. Our read-along books range from picture books to beginning readers to chapter books. Playaways are audiobooks that can be used with standard headphones. These are also great for long car trips; the audiobook can be used in the car with an auxiliary cord so the entire family can listen. 

We have a large selection of family movies, holiday favorites and TV series that you could check out to have on hand in case your family gets tired of watching football or the Westminster Dog Show.

Plan ahead because the library will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 27, and Friday, Nov. 28. We will have our regular hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. We will also be closed for Christmas on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Thursday, Dec. 25. On Wednesday, Dec. 31, the library will close at 3 p.m. for New Year’s Eve and will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 1.  

After the Thanksgiving holiday, be sure to plan to stop in the library to take a look at the Festival of Trees decorated to complement the theme of Silver and Gold. Groups, businesses and families who want to participate in the Festival of Trees can still sign up on the MJB Library website and set up trees for the event.  

Beginning on Monday, Dec. 1, the library will launch a new program, Craft and Connect, which will meet in the Taylor Meeting Room from 4-6 p.m. This program is geared toward adults who would like to bring their craft projects to work and socialize with other craft enthusiasts. Bring your coffee and whatever project you are working on, from crochet to coloring, and spend some time with friends and hobbies.

On Dec. 3 at 2 p.m., the library will have LEGO Mania Day. The LEGO challenge will be to make a Christmas tree.  

On Dec. 13, the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will be having a bake sale and craft time for kids from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by during our regular Saturday hours to buy holiday goodies. Kids will have a special project to create in the Taylor Meeting Room. Friends of the Library who are willing to donate baked goods should contact the library to sign up. 

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

Card making class will meet on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 9-11 a.m. to make handmade greeting cards. All supplies for the class are provided. The $5 fee for the class pays for materials. 

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, Cookbook club will gather to share food made with recipes from the “Taste of Home Soups and Breads Cookbook.” If you’d like to join the group, stop by the library to choose a recipe from this month’s cookbook to make and take to share at the meeting on Thursday evening. 

Story Hour on Friday, Nov. 21, will be all about turkeys. Story Hour is on Friday mornings at 10 a.m. Preschoolers of all ages and their caregivers are welcome to join for books and a craft. There will not be a story hour on Nov. 28 due to the library being closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Reads Well With Others Book Club will meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The group will be discussing “Listen for the Lie” by Amy Tintera and decorating the tree for the Festival of Trees. The December book will be “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach. 

The library will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27, to allow staff to observe the Thanksgiving holiday. With winter weather on the way, library patrons are reminded that if ACGC Schools are closed because of inclement weather, the library will also be closed.  

Local businesses and organizations are reminded that the Festival of Trees will be here soon. Those wanting to display a tree at the Festival of Trees can sign up on the library website. This year’s theme is Silver and Gold. Set-up begins on Nov. 20.  

Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will be having a Bake Sale and a Children’s Craft on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Members of the Friends group are asked to sign up to bring baked goods. 

LEGO Day participants were tasked with creating a catapult with LEGOs.

This young engineer is deeply concentrating as she designs her catapult.

Some of the LEGO Day participants pose with their finished catapults, loaded with marshmallows and ready to test.

The MJB Library hosted LEGO Day on Nov. 12.

This project is a challenge but one that the LEGO builders enjoyed.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette 

With colder weather coming, remember that the MJB Library has plenty for you to do inside where it’s warm. Stop by to browse our new books, check out a board game or movie, or just get a cup of coffee and work on the communal jigsaw puzzle.  

Parents, remember to sign up your kids for LEGO Mania Day at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Preschool Story Hour will be on Friday, Nov. 14 and Nov. 21 at 10 a.m. 

Card-making Class is Thursday, Nov. 20, from 9-11 a.m. For a $5 material fee, participants can create unique, handmade cards. At 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 20, Cookbook Club will meet to discuss the recipes they are sharing from the “Taste of Home Soups and Breads” cookbook.

Reads Well with Others evening book club will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 25 to discuss Amy Tintera’s thriller “Listen for the Lie.” Lucy and Savvy were the “it” girls of their small Texas town. Lucy married a dreamy guy, and Savvy was a social butterfly loved by everyone. After the night Lucy was discovered wandering the streets covered in Savvy’s blood, the town assumed Lucy killed her best friend. Lucy moved to L.A. to start a new life but still can’t remember anything about that night eight years earlier. 

However, the popular true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie” with the good-looking host has decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for their second season. Now, Lucy finds herself forced to return to a place she never wanted to see again to solve her friend’s murder. The truth is out there, if we just listen. Stop by the MJB Library to check out a copy and join us for the book club.

The sign-up for Festival of Trees is on the MJB website. This year’s theme is silver and gold. The setup begins on Nov. 20.  

Participants in the Chunky Blanket Class at the MJB created hand-crafted blankets.

Art on the Fly from Jefferson led a class on making chunky blankets at the MJB Library on Nov. 1.

At the end of the chunky blanket class, participants had finished blankets, ready to give as Christmas gifts or to take home to snuggle up in.

The story hour audience joined in the singing and actions during the Overall Buddies Program.

Part of Rich Monthei’s collection of Jewel Tea Autumn Leaves dishware will be on display in our case during November.

Members of the evening book club, Reads Well with Others, met to make handmade decorations for the tree they are decorating for the Festival of Trees.

The evening book club met to discuss their book of the month while working on crafting decorations for their tree for the Festival of Trees.

Author, singer, songwriter and educator Lori Lynn presented a program during the Nov. 7 preschool story hour.

During November, Good Vibrations, a king-sized quilt created by Cindy Steensen, will be on display.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The MJB Library Preschool Story Hour will have a special guest this week. Overall, Buddies will be entertaining our group on Friday, Nov. 7, at 10 a.m. Lori Lynn will have her guitar and puppets and will entertain with books and songs. Lynn, an early childhood educator, will not only engage the preschoolers but will also offer tips to parents and caretakers to help the young people in their lives with reading readiness. 

Our Nov. 14 story hour will have the theme of foxes, while turkeys will be the subject of the Nov. 21 story hour.  Story hours begin at 10 a.m.

Card players, we offer Cribbage each Monday from 9-11 a.m. and Bridge Class on Wednesdays from 9-11 a.m. Everyone is welcome, regardless of your skill level. 

Youth are invited to preregister for our events this month. Lego Mania Day will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The Guthrie STEM Lab will be on Monday, Nov. 17 at 4 p.m. 

Reads Well with Others Evening Book Club will meet to discuss the thriller “Listen for the Lie” by Amy Tintera on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 5 p.m. Interested participants are encouraged to stop by the library and check out a copy to read before the meeting. 

Businesses and Organizations that are interested in decorating a tree for the library’s Festival of Trees can sign up on the MJB Library Website. This year’s theme is Silver and Gold. Tree setup begins Nov. 20. We would encourage groups to get trees up before Thanksgiving. 

The MJB Library will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans’ Day. Additionally, the library will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28 to celebrate Thanksgiving. We will open again at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29. 

The MJB Library Boo Bash welcomed 330 guests this year.

Trick-or-Treaters enjoyed a little bit of putt-putt golf.

The Limb-Boo was a popular game at the library.

Boo Bash Trick or Treaters left with a book of their own.

This little flamingo is excited to be at the Boo Bash!

This little duck was so excited to have a new book.

This cowboy got his own Curious George book!

There were books for all ages of trick-or-treaters.

Each trick-or-treater got some candy, too.

The little fireman had trouble deciding which book to take.

Again this year, the MJB Library celebrated Halloween with our annual Li-BOO-ary Bash. This year, we welcomed 330 guests. Pictured is the MJB Boo Crew: Cass Fronapfel, Director Jerri Hawkins, Karen Kelly and Lynda Menefee.