By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

And just like that, Summer Reading Program 2026, “Plant a Seed: Read!” is over. This year, 91 children registered for the Summer Reading Program (SRP). On Friday, June 26, SRP participants gathered at the library to celebrate a month of programs and reading. The morning began with donuts donated by Casey’s General Store. Following snacks, the prize drawings for reading incentives were held.

At 11 a.m., the foam production began, and the foam party hijinks ensued. For the next hour, kids of all ages frolicked, played and laughed as bubbles filled the parking lot of the MJB Library. According to one of the Little Chargers youths, it was “The best day ever!” More than 80 people attended the Summer Reading Program celebration.

The staff of the MJB Library would like to extend a huge thank-you to all the community partners who contributed to the success of the 2026 Summer Reading Program. Thank you to the Guthrie County Farm Bureau, Anne Riordan and the Guthrie County ISU Extension for the outstanding programs they provided for our young patrons this year. Thanks to the Little Charger Daycare for participating in our library programs. Thank you to Casey’s General Store for donating donuts for our young readers. Additionally, we are grateful for all the events, including our foam party, which were made possible by funds received through Communities 4 Children and Community Partnerships for Protecting Children, neighborhood/Community Network Mini Grants. It really does take a village to make these events work, and we are so very appreciative of all who helped in some fashion.

Even though the summer reading program is over, the MJB Library still offers many events for youth over the summer. The Farm Bureau will have youth events entitled “Apples and Orchards” at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, and “Grains We Grow” at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 23.

Additionally, the library is partnering with the Mason Orange Lodge No. 123 to encourage preschool through sixth grade youth to read. The Masonic Lodge is donating a bicycle to be awarded to the winner of a drawing in August. To be eligible, youth should turn in reading logs of books read between June 1 and July 31. Each book read allows the reader a chance to enter the drawing for the bike.

Plan ahead, library patrons. Remember that the MJB Library will be closed on Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, in observance of the Fourth of July holiday, so stock up early on books for the weekend.

A new and exciting service will begin for Guthrie Center patrons beginning July 1. Kanopy, a video streaming service, will be available to anyone eligible with Libby through the MJB Library. Patrons can download the Kanopy app and watch a limited number of videos each month for free.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

Summer reading program (SRP) participants, we are entering the final stretch of our “Plant a Seed, Read!” program. So, young readers, push on to complete those reading logs to enter our prize drawing. Remember to turn in all SRP logs and Bingo challenges to the front desk no later than closing on Thursday, June 25, to be entered into the prize drawing.

On Wednesday, June 24 at 2 p.m., the Guthrie County Extension will host the workshop titled “Wax to Crayons.” At 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 25, the Farm Bureau will hold a youth event called “What is a Seed?” for kids of all ages. On Friday, June 26, the big end of SRP will begin at 10:30 a.m. Prize drawings will be held first, followed by an exciting foam party. Preschool families are reminded that there will be no story hour on Friday due to the SRP foam party. All ages are invited to participate in the foam party, so we are still looking forward to seeing our preschool families, too. Bring a towel and prepare for a great celebration.

Remember, even though our SRP ends on Friday, summer reading should continue. “Books and Bikes” is an MJB Library program that continues through the month of July. Open to youth preschool through sixth grade, MJB Library is partnering with Masonic Lodge, Orange Lodge No. 123, to promote academic success through this reading program. For each book a child reads between June 1 and July 31, 2026, they will get an entry for the drawing for a bike donated by the Masonic Orange Lodge No. 123. Each Guthrie Center Elementary School student should have received a reading log for this program in the end-of-school envelope that the library sent home. Contact the library for questions or additional reading logs.

In addition, preschoolers are invited to sign up for our program called “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.” Preschoolers and their caregivers can log each book they read and are rewarded for every 100 books read until they reach 1,000. Parents of newborns through 5-year-olds should sign their child up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which sends a new book to the child monthly from birth until they start kindergarten. Both programs are completely free of charge for the family.

Next time you visit the library, see the list of additional summer reading opportunities sponsored by various businesses and programs. The list is at the front desk and offers great reading incentives to motivate young readers to keep reading.

In July, LEGO Mania Day will be at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8. The Farm Bureau will present two programs next month, including “Apples and Orchards” on Thursday, July 9, at 1 p.m. and “Grains We Grow” at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 23.

Be sure to check the MJB Library website and community calendar for our summer program schedule. The programs will continue throughout the summer, even though our official SRP is done on Friday.

Adventure passes are available to library patrons from Guthrie Center who are age 18 or older to be used once every 365 days at each of the three venues: The Blank Park Zoo, The Des Moines Science Center and the Museum of Danish America. These passes allow free admission for two adults and two children, making a family day trip much more affordable.

Adults, remember our programs continue all summer. Cribbage continues each Monday at 9 a.m., while bridge class meets each Wednesday at 9 a.m. Canasta gathers on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. Since there are five Tuesdays in June, canasta will also be played on Tuesday, June 30, at 1 p.m.

Book clubs meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. The group that meets on the second Tuesday, Between the Covers, meets at 3 p.m., while the other group meets at 5 p.m.

Craft and Connect, a group of creative patrons who like to work on projects while chatting with each other, meets each Monday from 4-6 p.m.

Remember that the MJB Library is closed Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, in observance of our nation’s 250th birthday celebration. Stop in before then to check out our displays of adult and youth books that highlight our country’s history.

Below are some amazing photos from three of our summer reading events this week, made possible by “Funds received through Communities 4 Children and Community Partnerships for Protecting Children, neighborhood/Community Network Mini Grants.”

The library is hosting the Fourth Annual Friends of the Guthrie Center Public Library golf tournament on Saturday, June 27. Visit https://www.guthriecenter.lib.ia.us/friends-library/golf-tournament-fundraiser to register.

Friends of the Guthrie Center Library has T-shirts for sale. Visit https://gc-friendsofthelibrary.itemorder.com/shop/category/669259/ to get yours.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The Summer Reading Program (SRP), Plant a Seed, Read, is buzzing with excitement — almost as lively as a bee on a sugar rush! A total of 93 enthusiastic kids have signed up for the Summer Reading Program, which means the library is officially the coolest hangout in town.

Just a friendly reminder to our little bookworms: Keep tracking those reading minutes like a detective on the case. Fill out your bookmark tracker and turn it in for a chance to win awesome prizes on Friday, June 26. If you make it to library activities during SRP month, you will earn extra chances in the prize drawing. It is like playing the lottery but with books instead of scratch-offs.

This coming week is filled with exciting programs. First up, we have Creation Stations starting at 4 p.m. on Monday, June 15. Get ready for a variety of crafts. The library will have everything from Perler bead projects to a trail mix bar. Who wouldn’t want to create fingerprint berry bookmarks and compete in a nature memory game? Don’t forget to join us on Monday; otherwise, you might find yourself in a craft-less void.

On Wednesday, June 17, the GC ISU Extension office is presenting the “Beeman” program at 2 p.m. It is a beekeeping masterclass where attendees will learn why bees are the real MVPs of gardens — and they won’t even buzz you for admission.

On Thursday, June 18, prepare for Mesozoic Adventures with Toby Kid at 1 p.m. Imagine a time-traveling paleontologist digging up dinosaurs while cracking jokes.It’s the kind of scientific comedy that’s sure to have you rolling in the aisles. Don’t be surprised if you learn a dino-fact or two while giggling uncontrollably.

On Friday, June 19, the preschool story hour will be all about “Bicycles.” Set your tiny tots free to pedal through stories and crafts at 10 a.m.

On the adult side of things, we are keeping it artsy with a card-making class on Thursday, June 18, from 9-11 a.m. For just $5, you can make handmade greeting cards that may or may not impress your cat more than that last store-bought card you sent.

For all you foodies, the Cookbook Club meets that same day at 6 p.m. Bring your best finger food or appetizer to share.

Card players, unite! Join the morning cribbage sessions on Mondays and the bridge players on Wednesdays, where the cards are as strategic as chess, but with less pondering and more laughing. Canasta class takes the stage on the first and third Tuesdays. Just remember to keep the canasta drama to a minimum.

Crafters, Craft and Connect is happening every Monday from 4-6 p.m. Bring your unfinished projects, swap ideas and maybe end up with more glitter in your hair than anyone bargained for.

Mark your calendars for book club meetings. The evening group chats about “The View from Lake Como” on Tuesday, June 23 at 5 p.m., while the afternoon crew tackles “The Perfect Couple” on July 14 at 3 p.m. Plenty of copies are available, but be careful, as these books might just become the new best friends you never knew you needed.

Join the fun, whether you are reading, crafting, or just snacking. The library is where the magic happens — books, laughs and everything in between.

Below are some amazing photos from two of our summer reading events this week, made possible by “Funds received through Communities 4 Children and Community Partnerships for Protecting Children, neighborhood/Community Network Mini Grants.” Science Heroes program was “Digging It,” an interactive STEM program where kids explored earth sciences, geology and fossils through storytelling and hands-on experiments. Anne Riordan shared information and led activities to teach our young readers about pollinators.

The library is also hosting the Fourth Annual Friends of the Guthrie Center Public Library golf tournament. Visit https://www.guthriecenter.lib.ia.us/friends-library/golf-tournament-fundraiser to register.

Friends of the Guthrie Center Library has T-shirts for sale. Visit https://gc-friendsofthelibrary.itemorder.com/shop/category/669259/ to get yours.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The most exciting text message I received this week was from my daughter-in-law showing my one-month-old granddaughter with her new copy of “The Little Engine That Could,” which is the first book in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. This is exciting news for two reasons. First, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is one of the greatest programs ever, and second, the availability of books to children is a huge predictor of reading success.

For those who are not familiar with the Imagination Library, this program was started and funded by Dolly Parton as a way to honor her father, whom she describes as a bright man who felt his inability to read stunted his success. Parton, through her Dollywood Foundation, began this program, which provided each child born in Sevier County, TN, the opportunity to register for the Imagination Library. This means that each month that child would receive a package in the mail addressed to her or him containing an age-appropriate, hard-cover book.

This program was so successful that Tennessee has adopted and funded the program statewide. Because of its popularity and success, the program is also available not only in all 50 states, but internationally as well. In Audubon, Carroll, Greene and Guthrie Counties, this program is funded by Partnerships 4 Families; any preschool child residing in these counties can register and receive a monthly book until they start kindergarten at absolutely no cost to the family. Sign-up can be done online at the Imagination Library website, https://imaginationlibrary.com/, or by stopping into the MJB Library for sign-up assistance.

This program does many things to promote early literacy. While researching how to prevent summer reading slide, the availability of books was one of the most important ways to prevent losing reading gains over the summer. For that reason, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a gift that keeps on giving since it provides the beginnings of a child’s personal library. MJB Library is proud to partner with Partnerships 4 Families to promote the availability in our area.

Because accessibility to books is so vital to reading readiness and promoting literacy with older students, the MJB Library is excited to be hosting the Summer Reading Program (SRP) for June. We are encouraging parents to sign up their kids to attend our almost daily SRP events, in hopes to inspire their children to keep a reading log and turn it in for a chance to win prizes.

In addition to the SRP, the library is partnering with the Masonic Lodge Orange Lodge No. 123 to offer Bikes for Books. The Masonic Lodge will donate a bicycle to be awarded at the beginning of August. Students pre-K- through sixth grade who submit a reading log will earn one drawing ticket for each book read between June 1 and July 31.

To help the children in your life avoid losing the average 20% of school-year gains in reading over the summer, there are other opportunities to promote literacy through the summer. Barnes and Noble, Half Price Books, Chuck E. Cheese and Pizza Hut all offer summer reading incentive programs. Stop by the library to see our list of summer reading programs in the youth area.

Additionally, families can use the MJB Library website to access a number of educational websites and online experiences to provide kids with fun educational activities. Check out other websites like the American Library Association, Reading is Fundamental, Reading Rockets and Scholastic to find activities and book lists.

Remember, the library provides reading materials, audiobooks, puzzles, books and games for checkout. Monday through Saturday, the library is open to provide children a safe space to read, play and learn.

Library card holders who are 18 or older are able to use their library card for free admission to educational and fun places, using the Iowa Adventure Pass. One of those venues, the Blank Park Zoo, is a resource close to home, providing exhibits of more than 800 creatures as well as many daily programs to allow children to participate and learn.

The Science Center of Iowa is another venue that provides exhibits, experiments and attractions for all ages that participates in the Iowa Adventure Pass. The newest venue included in the adventure pass is the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn; this museum offers free admission to up to four individuals per day. Considered the best place to learn about Scandinavian contributions to Iowa, its mission is to celebrate “Danish roots and American dreams.” In addition to the permanent exhibits, the outdoor fitness equipment and the recreational trail, visitors find the Thomas Dambo Trolls hidden close by the museum.

Check the library website and bulletin board for upcoming events for youth, adults and families. This week, Anne Riordan with the Guthrie County DNR will present a program at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 11. Story Hour begins at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 12, and will feature stories and a craft about dinosaurs. On Monday, June 15, at 4 p.m., youth of all ages are invited to join the fun at Creation Stations, where a variety of creative activities will be available.