By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

“There are so many library kids and library grown-ups who have yet to fully embrace their library joy, and I am so excited for them. When they enter the world of libraries and stories, I am confident they will find not only their library joy but their courage to believe in their own story and maybe even share it with others,” commented Mychal Threets, National Library Week Honorary Chair, author, award-winning librarian and new host of “Reading Rainbow.”

Sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), National Library Week first sponsored this observance in 1958 to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries — school, public, academic and special libraries.

Concerning research in the mid-1950s indicated that Americans were spending less money on books than on radios, televisions and musical instruments. The ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit organization intended to promote reading and library use. The committee’s thought was that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. Thus, National Library Week was born in 1958 with the theme “Wake up and Read!” This tradition has continued, and this year’s theme is “Find Your Joy at the Library.”

During National Library Week, the staff at MJB Library invites patrons to stop by the library and find their joy at the library. April 19-25 is National Library week, and it is the perfect time for everyone to take a few minutes to stop by the library to see what might spark joy for them.

Most people think of the library as a big building filled with books. That in and of itself quite honestly makes this place seem like an oasis to me, but there is just so much more that the library has to offer to the citizens of this area. In addition to the hundreds of books, magazines, audiobooks and read-along books, patrons can check out board games, DVDs, jigsaw puzzles, cake pans, candy molds and a telescope. If patrons want a book that MJB Library doesn’t own, it can be borrowed from other libraries.

Homeschool families can utilize a textbook or homeschool materials exchange. Homeschool families can donate materials that they no longer need and take materials that they can use.

 Gardeners can take advantage of the seed library which has flower, vegetable, and herb seeds that they may take to plant this spring; this fall, harvest the seeds and donate them back to the library which will add them to the seed library.

Patrons can check out computers and tablets. The library offers free Wi-Fi to patrons. For a small fee, patrons can print, fax and laminate documents.

MJB Library offers educational and recreational programs for youth and adults. Regular programs include preschool story hour for preschoolers of all ages and their caretakers each Friday at 10 a.m. For school-age youth, monthly LEGO Mania Day and Creation Corner provide challenging and creative learning opportunities. In addition, watch the calendar for special programs and events.

The library promotes and helps families enroll their children from birth to 5 years old in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Preschool families are encouraged to enroll their children in 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, a free program the library operates to encourage reading readiness. 

Each summer, the library offers a Summer Reading Program (SRP). Not only does the program provide recreational activities for youth, SRP also provides learning and creative programs as well as a program to help prevent summer reading slide. This year’s theme is “Plant a Seed, Read!” Registration is now open and can be completed on the library’s website.

The youth area of the library is an inviting area with a play area for toddlers which includes age-appropriate toys and activities, a Wii and a Nintendo Switch which can be used in another area of the youth space. Puzzles, puppets and STEM activities can be used in the library. Cozy reading spaces for youth are also available.

The library has a meeting room which is utilized for programs and meetings but is also available to rent for a small fee. Inside the library, a small meeting room is available for use for meetings for eight or fewer people, a private study room, zoom calls or test proctoring.

Several seating areas and tables are available for patrons who want to work here or just enjoy a reading space. A communal puzzle is out and available for anyone to sit and spend a bit of time working on the jigsaw. Take a minute to look at the collection on display in the display case by the front desk or the quilt on display by the fireplace.

For adults, each Monday from 9-11 a.m. cribbage players gather to play. Bridge class is every Wednesday from 9-11 a.m. Canasta Class will be Tuesday, April 21 at 1 p.m. Each Monday, a group of crafters meets in the Taylor Meeting Room from 4-6 p.m. for Craft and Connect; participants bring a project to work on while they socialize with other creative people. Everyone is welcome to participate in these activities.

On the second Tuesday of each month, the afternoon book club, Between the Covers, meets at 3 p.m. to discuss a book. The April meeting will be April 14 to discuss “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders” by Jesse Q. Sutanto. The evening book club Reads Well With Others meets at 5 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. This month’s selection is “Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk” by Kathleen Rooney. For those who wish to participate in the book clubs, the library provides copies for patrons to check out so there is no expense for book club participants.

From 9-11 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month, a card making class is held for people who are interested in making greeting cards. All materials and supplies are provided for a $5 fee. At 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month, Cookbook Club meets to sample and discuss recipes from the featured cookbook.

To help patrons discover their library joy, MJB Library is offering Book Bundles; fill out a form about your preferences and dislikes in stories, and one of our librarians will choose three to five books for you to try. This is a great way to discover a new author or series you might not find on your own. Interested? Type in https://www.guthriecenter.lib.ia.us/find-book-2. Please allow up to three weekdays for your bundle to be selected and ready for pickup. You will be notified by text, email or phone call.

In addition to all these things, patrons 18 and older can use their library cards to access an Iowa Adventure Pass. Funded by the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library, the Iowa Adventure Pass allows patrons to get special admission deals to local destinations once every 365 days. Patrons get two adult and two youth free admissions to the Blank Park Zoo or the Des Moines Science Center. For the Blue Zoo, get two free youth admissions with one paid adult admission. The newest venue to the adventure pass is the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn. This pass allows admission for up to four individuals.  To reserve the Iowa Adventure Pass, go to the MJB Library website.

Also available for library card holders of all ages is the Libby App which can be downloaded to smart phones and tablets. This free app allows card holders to access hundreds of eBooks, audio books and magazines for no cost.

With so much available at the MJB Library, how could one not find their joy at the library. Stop by and check us out!

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Peeps Diorama Contest. We appreciate everyone who invested their time and creative energy to make the contest a success. Our prize winners in the adult contest were the Craft and Connect group of Nicki Herbert, Cheryl Knauss and Alicia Pauley; Amber Wetzel won second prize. In the youth category, Everly Copeland placed first with Guinevere Wetzel winning second place and Alaina Copeland in third place. Please stop by to pick up your diorama and your prizes. 

Each Friday, the library has a preschool story hour for preschool children of all ages and their caretakers. April story hours themes are Easter on April 10, moon/outer space on April 17, and Earth Day on April 24.  Story hour meets at 10 a.m. to read  stories and do a craft project. 

Other youth events for the month include LEGO Mania Day at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15 and Creation Corner on Wednesday, April 29 at 2 p.m.; youth of all ages are welcome to attend these events. 

Youth may start registering for the MJB Library’s Summer Reading Program, which will be during the month of June. Just go to the MJB Library website and click on the Summer Reading Program tab. This summer’s theme will be Plant a seed, Read! 

In terms of adult programming, Between the Covers Book Club will meet Tuesday, April 14 at 3 p.m. “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse Q. Sutanto is the April selection. The evening book club, Reads Well With Others, will meet on Tuesday, April 28 at 5 p.m. to discuss “Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk” by Kathleen Rooney. The library has copies available for check out for anyone who wishes to participate in the book clubs. 

Canasta Class will meet from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, to play Hand, Knee and Foot Canasta. No experience is necessary to join the group. 

Cribbage players meet each Monday morning from 9-11 a.m. Bridge class meets each Wednesday from 9-11 a.m. Both groups welcome card players of all skill levels to join them. 

Adults looking to join some new groups might be interested in the cardmaking club, which meets the third Thursday of each month and will meet April 16  from 9-11 a.m. Led by Judi Zimmerline, the cardmaking club meets to create, hand-made, one-of-a-kind greeting cards. All equipment and materials are supplied for a $5 fee. 

Cookbook Club will also meet on Thursday, April 16 at 6 p.m.  to sample and discuss recipes from the book “Homestyle Kitchen.” Those who wish to participate are asked to stop by the library during regular hours to choose a recipe from the book to prepare and bring to cookbook club.

Nation Library Week is April 19-25.  The theme is Find your Joy at the Library. Check this column next week for more information. In the meantime, stop in and find your joy at the MJB Library. 

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

“The right book in the hands of the right person at exactly the right moment can change their life forever” is a quotation from “This Book Made Me Think of You” by Libby Page, and this book proves it.

Last week, one of my book club members plopped a new release down on the counter and announced that it was so good that we needed to use it in our book club. So, I thought I would give it a read. “This Book Made Me Think of You” by Libby Page is indeed a book that would be great for book club. 

Tilly Nightengale, a book editor, gets a call from the local bookstore notifying her that she has a package to pick up, except that Tilly hasn’t ordered anything from the bookstore. Upon her arrival, Alfie, the owner of the bookstore, explains that before his death, Tilly’s late husband, Joe, planned a special birthday gift for her — a year of books. The first book was ready on her birthday in January. Each subsequent month, Tilly stops in the bookstore to collect her new book of the month. Each book is accompanied by a brief letter that Joe had written to explain his selection to Tilly. 

With each month and each new book, Tilly begins to try new things that “the books made her do.” The books challenge her out of her comfort zone, pushing her to move her life in a new direction. “This Book Made Me Think of You” is a celebration of books and the way that a good book can delight and challenge the reader. Book lovers will enjoy all the bookish references and the book recommendations that accompany each book of the month selection.

As Tilly works through her year of books, the books she reads, the experiences she has, and the people she meets help her face her grief in a productive and healing way. Tilly’s story is relatable because her grief is raw, messy and often catches her off guard.   

Despite a predictable ending, I couldn’t stop reading. “This Book Made Me Think of You” felt like a warm hug on a lonely day. As someone who has spent her life turning to books — either for answers or to escape — I could appreciate Tilly’s journey through her year of books. 

Though it was a book about love, it wasn’t a conventional romance novel. Wise, realistic and emotional, the book felt healing to me. As I followed Tilly through her pain, I was forced to think about my own experiences.  

The universality of the experiences of the characters makes the book particularly relatable. Who hasn’t dealt with loss? One of my favorite passages was a moment when Tilly was speaking with an older Italian widow. She reassures Tilly that she doesn’t need to bury her sadness. “My grief is “un regalo” — a gift. He gave it to me. It is our memories. Our love. I don’t want to put it down. I carry it gently.” 

“This Book Made Me Think of You” by Libby Page might be a little too sappy for the most cynical readers, but it smacked me right in the feels. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a hopeful, feel-good story. It is available for check out at the MJB Library. Readers can go online at the library website to reserve the book. 

Card lovers, MJB Library has programs for you. On each Monday, from 9-11 a.m. cribbage players meet in the Taylor Meeting Room. Bridge Class meets each Wednesday from 9-11 a.m. also in the Taylor Meeting Room.

Because of the resurgence in popularity of Canasta, the library is offering a Canasta class that will be Tuesday, April 7 and April 21, from 1- 3 p.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. Participants will be learning Hand, Knee and Foot Canasta. Canasta is a card game where players form open teams to score points by melding cards of the same rank, aiming to create “canastas” (melds of seven cards). This is an adult class for participants age 19 and older. 

Youth of all ages are invited to LEGO Mania Day on Wednesday, April 15 and Creation Corner on Wednesday, April 29; both events take place at 2 p.m.  Preregistration is appreciated. Story Hour is each Friday at 10 a.m. for preschoolers of all ages and their caretakers.  

Craft and Connect is each Monday afternoon from 4-6 p.m. Bring a project and join other creative individuals for time to talk and create. 

Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will have its regular meeting on Monday, April 6 at 6:15 p.m. Library patrons are reminded that the Friends of the Library are having a membership drive. For those who enjoy the programs and services the library provides, please consider signing up.

Books are available to check out for each of the book clubs. “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse Q. Sutanto is the selection for the afternoon club, Between the Covers. Reads Well With Others evening book club will be reading “Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk” by Kathleen Rooney.  

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

What are you doing at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month? If your answer isn’t going to the MJB Library Cookbook Club, you might want to rethink how you are spending your Thursday evenings.

Last week I had the privilege of attending the monthly cookbook club meeting. I chose a recipe from the month’s featured cookbook, “Taste of Home Pizza, Pasta, and More!,” and prepared it to bring to the meeting. Some of the area’s best cooks and bakers did the same. Eight of us attended. The food was delicious and plentiful, and the camaraderie was even better than the food.

As we ate and enjoyed the food, the discussion bounced from what our favorite recipes were (lemon ricotta cookies, one-pot black bean enchilada pasta, and Tuscan sun orange cranberry cake for me), how we might adapt recipes to appeal to our families, and recipes that disappointed us.

As the meeting wound to a close, the members divided up leftovers to share with each other, cleaned up the meeting room, and looked at the cookbook for next month. At the end of the evening, I left with a full belly, new recipes and a smile on my face.

For those who have considered joining the cookbook club but didn’t for any number of reasons, let me share my feelings about my first meeting. I am not an exceptional cook as many of the regular members are, but they were welcoming, inclusive and kind. My chocolate peanut butter pizza was no one’s favorite recipe, but that’s OK. I made something new, tried new dishes and made new friends. So, my rating for the evening with Cookbook Club is five stars. I would go again.

The next cookbook club meeting will feature recipes from the “Homestyle Kitchen” cookbook. Stop by the library to choose a recipe. When you show up with your dish at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, you’ll be in for a fun evening with great food.

A reminder that the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library membership drive is still going on. Prospective members can still be eligible for the drawing for the gift bag of literary treats if they have paid their dues by the end of March. The drawing will be held during the regular meeting on Monday, April 6, at 6:15 p.m. at the library.

A new program, Canasta class, will be offered on Tuesday, April 7 and April 21, from 1-3 p.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. Participants will be learning Hand, Knee and Foot Canasta. Canasta is a card game where players form open teams to score points by melding cards of the same rank, aiming to create “canastas” (melds of seven cards). This is an adult class for participants 19 and older.

Remember, cribbage meets each Monday from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor meeting room. Craft and Connect meets from 4-6 p.m. each Monday for creative people who enjoy socializing while crafting. Wednesday from 9-11 a.m., the bridge class gathers in the meeting room. Try out one of these fun groups.

The April selections for both book clubs are now available. Anyone who would like to participate in the book club can stop in and check out April’s book. The afternoon book club is reading “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse Q. Sutanto. “Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk” by Kathleen Rooney is the evening book group’s selection.

For youth, LEGO Mania Day is coming up on Wednesday, April 15, at 2 p.m. Creation Corner is on Wednesday, April 29 at 2 p.m. Both of these events are for youth of all ages. Preregistration is appreciated.

Preschool Story Hour is each Friday at 10 a.m. for preschoolers and their caretakers. This week’s theme will be bunnies.

The Summer Reading Program will be here before you know it. This year’s theme, “Plant a Seed, Read!” promises to be great fun. Registration is now open on the library website.

A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Peeps Diorama Competition. Stop in to take a look at these creative works of art/ A winner will be announced on April 1.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The MJB Library would like to remind patrons that there is so much more than books at the library. Remember that the library has a new Memory Lab; this equipment allows digitization of old photos and negatives, as well as home movies.  

Library card holders 18 and older are able to go online to reserve an Iowa Adventure Pass once every 365 days to Blank Park Zoo, the Science Center, and the Blue Zoo. The Iowa Adventure Pass allows families to obtain free or reduced admission to these venues. New this year is a partnership with the Des Moines Performing Arts to allow passes to one of the three Wellmark Family Series productions. 

The library is working on an exciting Summer Reading Program for youth. Registration is now open on the MJB Library website.  

In addition to these opportunities, the library has regular programs scheduled for the week. Wednesday, March 18, the bridge class will be meeting from 9-11 a.m. New players are always welcome to join. At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, youth of all ages are invited to participate in Creation Corner where they will be making a spring craft. 

Card-making class will meet on Thursday, March 19 from 9-11 a.m. to make handmade greeting cards. All supplies are provided for a $5 fee. On Thursday at 6 p.m., cookbook club will meet to share recipes from “Taste of Home Pizza and Pasta Cookbook.” For those who would like to attend cookbook club, stop by the library to select a recipe and then prepare it and bring it to the meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday. 

Friday is Story Hour for preschoolers and their caregivers at 10 a.m. Spring is the theme for this week; let’s hope the snow is gone by then. The craft and stories will be focused on warmer weather. 

On Saturday morning, the MJB Library is offering a new opportunity. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., groups can stop by the library to create a diorama featuring at least one Peep Marshmallow candy. Entries can be made by individuals or a group. All ages are welcome to participate. For those attending on Saturday, bring a shoebox to  build the diorama on and any other supplies wanted. The library will provide some Peeps and craft supplies.  

The dioramas should family-friendly and will be displayed at the library until the winner is announced on April 1. Patrons who wish to compete in the diorama contest but aren’t able to attend on Saturday may drop off a finished diorama by closing on Friday, March 21. Additional details are available on the MJB Library website.

Cribbage will meet on Monday, March 23 from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. Craft and Connect will meet on Monday also from 4-6 p.m., so bring a craft project and spend a couple of hours working and chatting with others. 

The evening book club, Reads Well With Others, will be meeting on Tuesday, May 24 at 5 p.m. to discuss Catherine Newman’s novel “Sandwich.” For those who would like to participate, copies of the book are  available to check out.  

Remember Friends of the Guthrie Center Library membership drive is still going on. Those who pay membership dues by the end of March are eligible for a drawing for a gift bag full of literary goodies. The drawing will be done at the regular meeting of the Friends of the  Guthrie Center Library on Monday, April 6, at 6:15 p.m. 

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The MJB Library has planned a family-friendly event for Peep-le of all ages. On Saturday, March 21, the MJB Library invites patrons to join us from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to build a diorama featuring Peeps marshmallow characters.  

The challenge is to construct a shoebox-sized diorama featuring at least one Peep, inspired by a family-friendly book, movie, TV show or creative theme of your choice. Using recycled materials, magazines, paint, pipe cleaners and other craft supplies, teams should bring their Peep-sterpiece to life. 

Here are the rules:

1. Diorama must include at least one Peep Marshmallow candy.
2. Entries must be family-friendly.
3. Diorama base must be no larger than a shoebox and must be free-standing. 
4. Dioramas must be either constructed at the event on Saturday, March 21, or constructed at home and submitted to the library by close on Friday, March 20. 
5. Teamwork is welcome. This is an all-age contest. We encourage families and friends to work together. 
6. Entries will be displayed from March 23 to April 2. The winner will be selected on April 1.
7. Please pick up your entry between April 4 and 11.  Unclaimed entries will be discarded. 

Teams who come to the library on March 21 should bring a shoebox and any other supplies they would like. The library will provide some craft supplies and Peeps for participants to use. Preregistration is appreciated. 

Plans are underway for our summer reading program. This year’s theme is Plant a seed, Read! The reading program will take place in June.  Registration is now open to sign up for all the fun.  

Some highlights that are planned for participants include several programs that are paid for with funds received through Communities 4 Children and Community Partnerships for Protecting Children’s neighborhood/Community Network Mini Grants. Those programs include Science Heroes on Monday, June 8; Mesozoic Adventures by Toby Kid Funny Farm on Thursday, June 18; and the Summer Reading Program Prize Party and Mega Foam Cannon by Absolute Science on Friday, June 26.

Upcoming library events include a program presented by New Opportunities about behavioral health services on Thursday, March 12, at 2 p.m.  The program will be in the Taylor Meeting Room. 

Community members are invited to join any of the MJB Library’s ongoing programs and groups. Weekly adult groups include Cribbage on Monday from 9-11 a.m. and bridge class on Wednesday from 9-11 a.m. On Monday from 4-6 p.m., Craft and Connect meets to work on craft projects and socialize. 

For preschool, weekly story hour meets each Friday at 10 a.m. In March, the themes will include St. Patrick’s Day on March 13, spring on March 20, and bunnies on March 27. Join us for a craft and stories. 

Remember to add the library’s monthly events to your calendar as well.  On the second Tuesday of each month, the afternoon book club, Between the Covers, meets at 3 p.m. The fourth Tuesday of the month, the Reads Well With Others evening book club meets. On March 24 at 5 p.m., the group will be discussing Sandwich by Catherine Newman.  Books for book clubs are available for checkout at the front desk. 

Card-making class, which takes place on the third Thursday of each month from 9-11 a.m., will be on March 19. Remember that all materials are provided for a $5 fee to cover the cost of supplies needed to design one-of-a-kind greeting cards. Also, on the third Thursday at 6 p.m., the cookbook club meets to sample and discuss recipes from the cookbook chosen for the month. The March cookbook will be “Taste of Home: Pizza, Pasta, and More.” Stop by the library to select a recipe to make and bring to the meeting. 

The regular monthly events for youth include Creation Corner, which will be on Wednesday, March 18 at 2 p.m.  Registration for the event is appreciated. Youth of all ages are welcome. 

To register for events, visit the MJB Library website calendar at www.guthriecenter.lib.ia.us

A reminder that the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library are having a membership drive. Those who pay their $25 membership dues by March 31 are entered in a drawing for a bag of literary treats valued at $100.