By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

 We are gearing up for our last week of our summer reading program. Remember that all summer reading logs must be turned into the library by closing time on Thursday, June 27 in order to be included in the prize drawing. On Friday, June 28  at 11 a.m., we will have our Summer Reading Program Reading Prize Party. 

All School Reunion

Because of the All-School Reunion, the library will have extended hours on Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6. We will be open both days from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to allow people to have extra time to look at class displays and class composite photos. Additionally, the library will be playing Al Bell videos. 

On Saturday July 6, Donald Todd, Jr. will be speaking at 11 a.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room about his father, Dr. Donald Todd, Sr., and Dr. Todd’s medical practice with Dr. Herbert Neff. 

Friends of the Library

Friends of the Library will be meeting Tuesday, July 2 at 6:15 p.m. Everyone who would like to support the library is invited to join. 

Library Closed

A reminder that the MJB Library will be closed on Thursday, July 4 to celebrate Independence Day.  

Story Hour

The Preschool StoryHour will resume on Friday, July 5 at 10 a.m. It will continue through the summer each Friday beginning at 10 a.m. The theme of story hour on July 5 is Independence Day. On July 12, bugs will be the focus while summer is the topic of July 19 story hour. Food Fun is the theme of the July 26 Story Hour.  

Book Club

Between the Covers Book Club will meet on Tuesday, July 9 at 3 p.m. The group will be discussing “Mornings on Horseback” by David McCullough. This highly acclaimed biography of Theodore Roosevelt looks at his early life, overcoming near-fatal asthma and a unique childhood to grow into the man who became our 26th President. If you’d like to join the book club, stop in the library and check out a copy of this fascinating book. 

Cookbook Club

Cookbook Club will meet on Thursday, July 18 at 6:15 p.m. This month, recipes will be selected from the 2024 Taste of Home magazines. If you wish to participate in the cookbook club, please stop in the library and choose a recipe to prepare for the meeting. The night of the meeting, bring your dish, your appetite, and be ready to discuss the month’s recipes.

Card Making Club

Card Making Club will meet on Thursday, July 18 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The $5 fee covers the cost of all the materials you will need to create one-of-a-kind handmade greeting cards. 

New Books

Frieda McFadden fans, the wait is over. The third book in the Housemaid series, “The Housemaid is Watching,” is in and available for check-out. You may reserve it using our online card catalog.  

We have some timely, new nonfiction at MJB Library. “The Anxious Generation” by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt addresses adolescent mental health issues. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide have increased at an alarming rate in the past decade. Haidt lays out the facts of teen mental illness that is impacting many countries at the same time. Then he investigates how childhood has moved from being play-based prior to 2010 to being almost entirely “phone based.” Haidt discusses how the social and neurological development of children has been impacted by social media, screens, and virtual reality. The book concludes with steps that parents can take to reverse these issues.  

“The Situation Room” by George Stephanopoulos, former senior advisor to President Clinton and host of “The Week” and “Good Morning America,” records never-before-told accounts of 12 history-changing events decided in the White House Situation Room. The epicenter of crisis management, the Situation Room was created under President Kennedy. This book shares detailed transcripts of events including the shootings of President Kennedy and President Reagan, shocking moments when Henry Kissinger raised the military alert level to DEFCON III while President Nixon was drunk in the White House residence, events after 9/11 and the first ever account  of events from Jan. 6 from the staff inside the Situation Room.

The sensory tree is one of the new pieces purchased for the children’s area with the ALA LTC Round 2 Grant.

Seventy people attended the Friday summer reading program at the MJB Library. It was a great day to learn about science.

During the Absolute Science Foam Show, the presenter created a Rice Krispie Fountain to demonstrate what happens to electrically charged cereal.

Our presenter from Absolute Foam Science and his assistant demonstrate how refraction works using glass test tubes immersed in vegetable oil.

Participants in the STEM workshop presented by Guthrie County ISU Extension last Wednesday show off their projects from the No Monkeys, No Chocolate workshop.

Summer reading participants are spending some time reading in the new reading area. The furnishings were purchased with funds from the ALA LTC Round 2 Grant.

Hadley Knobbe shows that mixing science with electricity can be a hair-raising experience.

The presenter and five volunteer scientists in training demonstrate the results of this exothermic reaction, which resulted in a colorful foam display.

Cookbook Club members brought dishes from the “State Fair Cookbook,” which is available at MJB Library for checkout.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

Because it’s summer reading month, June has been a busy month at the MJB Library. In addition to reading, guest speakers and special programs have been teaching our young patrons many new things and providing many fun experiences. See some of the adventures happening at the library.  

Summer Reading Program participants made flowers which were dusted with “pollen.” Then the “pollinators” traveled from flower to flower. At the end, they were able to get an idea of how valuable butterflies and other pollinators are.

Young bicyclists enthusiastically learned how to take care of their bikes during the MJB Library summer reading bike clinic last week.

Friday morning’s creation stations were popular with kids of all ages.

These summer readers are intently working on a project creating trees out of old puzzles. This year’s theme of “ Read. Renew. Repeat.” encourages participants not only to read but to be environmentally conscious so this craft that repurposes old puzzles fits that theme.

On Monday, Anne Riordan with the DNR shared a video and described her experiences observing the monarch butterfly migration in Mexico.

Hadley Knobbe participated in the bike rodeo on Tuesday, June 11 at the MJB Library as part of the Summer Reading Program.

Summer reading program participants pretended to be monarch butterflies migrating from Iowa to Mexico. This activity gave them a chance to understand the perils and problems of migrating butterflies.

Librarians Ava Campbell and Cass Fronapfel assist young summer reading program participants with a craft at the creation stations on Friday morning.

Bif Ridgway from Bike World takes time to show young bikers how to maintain their bicycles properly during the MJB Library Bike Clinic.

All ages were excited to be at the bike clinic and rodeo last week as part of the summer reading program at the library.

Summer Reading Program Creation Stations are always a bit hit. This year, crafty readers made jelly fish at this creation station.

Card Making Class

Card Making class will meet from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, June 20. Led by Judy Zimmerline, all the supplies you need to make beautiful cards will be provided for a $5 fee. Stop in and learn how to make beautiful, one-of-a-kind hand-crafted greeting cards. 

Cookbook Class

Cookbook Class meets on Thursday, June 20 beginning at 6:30 p.m. This month’s featured cookbook is the “20th Edition of the Iowa State Fair Cookbook.” Stop by the library to pick out a recipe to bring to the meeting. The cookbook will be available for check out following the meeting.  

Summer Reading Activities

The Guthrie County ISU Extension will be doing a STEM workshop on Wednesday, June 19 entitled “No Monkeys, No Chocolate.” The event begins at 12:30 p.m.  

Friday is an exciting show brought to you by the people from Absolute Science. The Fantastic Foam Show begins at 11 a.m.  The show will be in the Taylor Meeting Room. 

Monday, June 24,  at 1 p.m. is Mindful Coloring Day. Come to the library, and we will have a variety of coloring pages for you to enjoy, relax and do some stress relief with crayons.  

Tuesday, June 25, is the Zoo to You program. A guest from the Blank Park Zoo will be at the library to talk about the zoo and the animals who live there. 

The STEM workshop presented by the Guthrie County ISU extension office on Wednesday, June 26 at 12:30 p.m. The topic is “Here We Are – A Guide to Earth.”  

Summer Reading Participants are reminded that all reading logs must be turned in to the library by the time the library closes on Thursday, June 27. For each log, participants will get a ticket for the final prize drawing.  

Summer Reading Wrap Up will be Friday, June 28, at 11 a.m. You won’t want to miss the fun and the prize drawings that will be happening that morning. 

By Karen Kelly | Special to the TimesVedette

One comment I hear from people who come to the Mary J Barnett Library for the first time is that this is such a beautiful library. I have to agree. The committee who planned this facility had a great deal of foresight and anticipated that our community would “grow into” this space.  Each day that I have the privilege of coming to work here, I am grateful for this building and what it provides our community. Our community benefits immensely from the large library with meeting rooms, a children’s area, and places for workspaces, conversations, and to just sit and read.  

This library was built in 1998, and one of the architectural highlights of the building is the massive windows that make it feel so open and bring the outside in. While it is a beautiful building, it is more than 25 years old. As with any building, time and the elements take their toll, and regular maintenance is required to keep things looking and working well. Such is the case with the gorgeous windows.  

The wood surrounding the windows is deteriorating and in need of immediate replacement. This repair is expected to be costly and exceeds the budgeted amount. While the city has allocated funds for the project, additional financial assistance is required. We are actively pursuing grants to facilitate the complete replacement of the windows in a cost-effective manner. The Friends of the Library are diligently fundraising for this cause, and community members are encouraged to support the effort by making donations towards the window renovation project. Contributions can be made by sending checks to the Mary J Barnett Library with “windows” indicated in the memo. It is crucial to maintain the library as a cornerstone of our community, providing a safe and resourceful space for all ages.

Golf Tournament

Time is running out to sign up for the Friends of the Library Second Annual Golf Tournament. The four-person best ball tournament is Saturday, June 15 at the Guthrie Center Golf Course. The $60 per person registration fee includes lunch and a cart.  Businesses are encouraged to purchase a sponsorship for $100.  All proceeds go to the Guthrie Center Friends of the Library to benefit the Mary J. Barnett Library.  

Lunch and Learn

Remember Lunch and Learn is noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12 in the Taylor Meeting Room. This month’s guest speaker is Karen Courtney, Iowa Homeschool Representative. A light lunch will be provided. 

Summer Reading Fun

Bif Ridgway and Bike World will be here Tuesday, June 11 at 12:30 for a bike clinic and bike rodeo. Kids are encouraged to bring their bikes and helmets and participate.  

The Guthrie County ISU Extension will be presenting Here and Now, a STEM workshop on Wednesday, June 12 at 12:30 p.m.  Friday morning at 11 a.m., Creation Stations will be set up for summer readers to unleash their creativity.  

Join us for a movie and popcorn on Monday, June 17 at 4 p.m. On Wednesday, June 19, the STEM program will be No Monkeys, No Chocolate. On Friday, June 21, Absolute Science will be sharing their Fantastic Foam Show.  

Summer Reading participants are reminded to log their reading time and turn in their completed reading logs for a chance to win some great prizes.  

Cribbage and Bridge

Card shark, remember that you can join the cribbage players from 9-11 a.m. each Monday morning for some competitive cribbage. Regardless of your skill level, new people are always welcome.  Bridge players, check out the Wednesday morning bridge class that takes place between 9-11 a.m.

Card Making Class

Card making class will be from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, June 20. All supplies are provided, and everyone is welcome. The $5 fee covers the cost of supplies.  

Cookbook Club

The 20th Edition of the Iowa State Fair Cookbook is the featured cookbook for this month’s cookbook club. Stop in the library to choose a recipe from the prize-winning recipes collected in this book. Bring your chosen dish to the Cookbook Club meeting on Thursday, June 20 at 6:30 p.m. 

Rylee Nielsen selects books to check out before the summer reading program begins. The furniture and rug were purchased with the grant money from the ALA LTC round 2 (American Library Association Libraries Transforming Communities Grant).

This young patron has found a cozy spot to enjoy a book. This is part of the furnishing purchased with the ALA LTC Round 2 Grant that the library has been awarded.

For those who think the library is a dull and quiet place, this is the children’s area on Monday. Kids are playing board games, using computers, playing with toys, and adults get a minute to read.

Brooks and Kate Gordon enjoy the new reading space in the children’s area, which was purchased with the ALA LTC Round 2 Grant.

Donna Albright’s award-winning quilt entitled Midnight Garden is on display at the MJB Library through the month of June. Stop in and take a look; a photo doesn’t capture the intricate work of this piece.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The summer reading program at the MJB Library kicked off on June 3, but it’s not too late to participate. We have a month of fun planned for our preschool through eighth-grade patrons. 

On Friday, June 7, at 10 a.m., Anne Riordan will be our special guest, speaking about Iowa State Parks; this program is geared toward preschool through early elementary ages. On Monday, June 10, Anne Riordan will be back with a program intended for all ages. Bike World and Biff Ridgway will be here at 12:30 on Tuesday, June 11, for a bike clinic and bike rodeo, so bring your bicycle and helmet to the library and be ready for some fun. Friday, June 14 at 11 a.m., we will have creation stations with projects for all ages.  

On Monday, June 17, the library will be hosting an outdoor movie with free popcorn at 4 p.m. Absolute Science will present its Fantastic Foam Show at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 21. Monday, May 24, the Library will host mindful coloring day beginning at 1 p.m. On Tuesday, June 25, Blank Park Zoo will be here at noon with its ZOO to You program. On Thursday, May 27, all reading logs must be turned in to be eligible for our prize drawing. Our summer reading finale will be Friday, June 28 at 11 a.m. with pizza donated from Casey’s General Store. 

During June as part of our summer reading program, the Guthrie County ISU Extension Office will present STEM workshops in the Taylor reading room on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. The title of June 5 will be Hello Honey Bees. Here and Now is the June 12 workshop. On June 19, No Monkeys, No Chocolate will be the topic. The final summer STEM program on June 26 will be Here We Are–a Guide to Earth. 

Summer Golf Tournament

We are still taking registrations for the Friends of the Guthrie Center Public Library Second Annual Golf Tournament on Saturday, June 15. The cost to participate in this four-person best ball tournament is $60 per person, which includes lunch and a cart. Register by calling the library at 641-747-8110 or Rod Robson at 641-757-1409. The Friends will also have Breakfast Burritos for sale before the shotgun starts. Businesses are still able to sign up for sponsorships by calling the library. The cost of a sponsorship is $100.  

Events for Adults 

Tuesday, June 11 at 3 p.m. will be the monthly gathering of Between the Covers Book Club.  Maya Angelou’s “I Know How the Caged Bird Sings” will be the topic of the afternoon discussion. Anyone wishing to participate may stop at the library to check out a copy of the novel. 

Lunch and Learn will be on Wednesday, June 12 from noon to 1 p.m. Iowa Homeschool Representative Karen Courtney will be the featured presenter on Homeschool 101. Participants must pre-register for this event. A light lunch will be served. 

Adventure Passes

A reminder that patrons with a Guthrie Center address are eligible to use the Adventure Passes, which are sponsored by the Friends of the Library. We have passes available for the Blank Park Zoo, The Science Center of Iowa, and the Des Moines Children’s Museum.  Library patrons (age 18 and older) may use their library card to check out a pass through the library’s website. Patrons may check out a pass for each venue once every 365 days. The pass is valid for free admission for two adults and two children to the ZOO and Science Center but for the DSM Children’s Museum the pass is valid for four children FREE admission, no charge for supervising adults. The printed pass and a valid photo ID must be presented at the gates to be admitted to the venue. What are you waiting for? Sign up for free family fun courtesy of your library card.

The landscaping crew who worked on the parking lot beautification project posed in front of the finished area. Left to Right: Dr. Steve Bascom, Matt Hawkins, Vicki Crannell, Leora Laughery. Not pictured, Jerri Hawkins.

Friends of the Library Matt Hawkins, Vicki Crannell, and Leora Laughery work to place the rocks in the new landscaping.

Dr. Steve Bascom unloads a wagon of rocks at the library parking lot.

Sunday, June 2, Friends of the Library worked to beautify the area around the MJB Library parking lot.

The library is selling two desks for $10 each or a free will offering.

The Extension Office led a workshop about planting herb gardens. Participants are busy finishing up their planters full of herbs. Pictured left to right: Andrea Redfern, Sheryl Clark, Breanna Kesler, Jennifer Kesler and Barb Gigar.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

One of my favorite memories from my childhood was Saturday afternoons because that was library day with my mom. The library was a magical place full of more books that contained interesting characters and that transported me to times and places I could only dream of going.

When I was little, even though the library was full of books, I quite often left carrying the same book – “My Mother Is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World.” Mom read me that book so many times that I memorized it. I know this because Mom was so tired of reading the same book, she would try to skip pages. Luckily, I generally would point this out so she could go back and read the part she’d missed. Curling up with Mom and my brother every night for stories was like meeting up with friends who lived inside the covers of those books.

As I got older, we stopped reading together, but the library trips continued. I would spend the longest time choosing new friends who would transport me to new places in the coming week. Would it be Laura Ingalls Wilder taking me to her little cabin in the big woods or Clara Barton introducing me to life on a Civil War battlefield?

I believe it’s because of those trips my mom made to the library with me that I decided to study literature and spend a large part of my life trying to introduce students to my friends inside those books. It’s also probably the reason that after I retired from teaching, I worked first in a bookstore and then was drawn like a magnet to the library.  

Because of those warm memories and my deep belief that curiosity and a love of learning begin between the covers of those magical books that libraries house, I am so excited for the project that we are embarking on at the MJB Library. 

Thanks to a grant from the ALA, the library has been able to purchase $10,000 of new furniture for the children’s area of the library. Child-sized bookshelves and interactive wall hangings as well as inviting reading spaces will soon be added to the kid’s section.   

Additionally, we are striving to update the children’s non-fiction section of the library. This is a daunting task because 83% of our children’s nonfiction book collection is more than 10 years old. While it may not seem that 10 years is too old for a book, the information in many 10 years old nonfiction books is often outdated. For the youngsters checking out those books, 10 years is quite literally a lifetime.

In addition, the nonfiction books of today are very different from nonfiction books from 10 or 20 years ago. Today’s nonfiction books no longer look like science or history textbooks disguised as library books. Rather, these new nonfiction books are visually appealing, with colorful illustrations and photographs, infographics, charts and sidebar texts. They are designed for children of varied reading levels and are intended to aid a child’s cognitive development.  

We have an amazing collection of fiction books — beautiful picture books, classic fairy tales, new fiction series, graphic novels, and audiobooks. Fiction is important. It sparks imagination and teaches empathy.  

However, I would argue that nonfiction is equally important in a child’s reading development. Factual reading helps to develop a child’s vocabulary, builds background information and helps children make connections to the world around them; it brings subjects alive in a way that fiction cannot. Nonfiction simultaneously challenges curious minds and improves reading skills while providing the knowledge needed to fully appreciate fiction stories. 

Our library is beautiful and filled with so many excellent books. Change is not easy, but we are working to ensure that our youngest patrons will regard a trip to the library as magical as I did all those years ago. To do that, we need to continue to update and provide the best resources possible.  

We here at the MJB Library believe that investing in our youth’s education is one of the library’s most important responsibilities, and we hope you will join us in making it possible. While we are constantly working on grants for additional funding for our youth, we would welcome any monetary contributions.  

To see the changes we are working toward in the children’s area, stop in and ask Jerri to show you. If you would like to monetarily contribute to our fund to purchase new child-sized furniture, send checks to the Friends of the Library. If you have a particular topic you want to see added to our nonfiction book collection, your suggestions would be welcome. If you would like to contribute funds to add new books to the children’s non-fiction books, contributions to Mary J. Barnett Memorial Library would be welcomed. If you are donating specifically for the children’s section, please note this in the check memo.  

Summer Reading Program

Be sure to sign up your kids from preschool to eighth grade for our summer reading program, which begins on June 3. Sign-up can be done online or in person at the library.  

Golf Tournament

The second annual Friends of the Library Golf Tournament will be on Saturday, June 15 at the Guthrie Center Golf Course. The four-person best ball tournament will begin at 8 a.m. The cost is $60 per person; registration includes lunch and a cart. Sign up on the library website, call or email the library, or call Rod Robson at 641-757-1409. Businesses can still sign up to sponsor the event as well. 

Seed Library

Remember to come in and see what we have in our seed library. Our seed library is completely free of charge. We just ask that you limit your usage to eight packages of seeds per month. We have a variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers. 

This little patron enjoys the new reading area rug and the new log seats in the kids’ section of the library. These are part of the new additions made possible by the ALA grant.

The MJB Library hosted a STEM workshop led by the Guthrie County ISU extension on Monday, May 20. The topic was insects. Ainsley Schreiber is creating an insect.

Hadley Knobbe evaluates what her insect needs during the STEM workshop at the MJB Library

Merrick Schreiber concentrates on including all the required parts of the insect he is constructing at the STEM workshop.

Using Play-Doh and pipe cleaners, STEM participants at last week’s workshop created a unique insect sculpture.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

In an effort to encourage our patrons to participate in sustainable development, to help with food insufficiency, and for those of you who want some pretty flowers, fresh herbs or veggies from your garden, MJB Library is working to establish a seed library. Patrons are encouraged to take home some seeds to plant. Ask us for details when you stop in. Our goal is for this to be an ongoing service we offer to patrons. We believe through donations of both saved seeds and commercial seed donations, we can maintain the seed library.

Summer Reading Program

Be sure to register your kids for MJB’s Summer Reading Program. Read, Renew, Repeat — this year’s theme — is intended to encourage participants to be more mindful of how we treat our environment. Our environment includes nature and our daily lives. Registration can be completed online at the library website. SRP is available for children from preschool through eighth grade.

Our kick-off event will be an exciting scavenger hunt on Monday, June 3, at 1 p.m. Storytime on June 7 will feature special guest Anne Riordan; this presentation is geared toward preschool participants.

From June 14-28, there will be no preschool story time as we will be doing activities for all ages for the Summer Reading Program. Check our schedule on the MJB website or stop in and pick up a calendar of events. Through June, there are programs and activities on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  On Tuesday, June 11, we will be hosting a bike clinic and rodeo. On Tuesday, June 25, the Blank Park Zoo will be presenting Zoo to You at noon.

Friends Meeting

Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will meet on Tuesday, June 4 at 6:15 p.m. They will be finalizing plans for the golf tournament fundraiser. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Between the Covers

Book lovers, please feel free to join our book club Between the Covers.  The next meeting will be Tuesday, June 11 at 3 p.m. Discussion will center around “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” a memoir of Maya Angelou’s early life. Stop in the library to check out a copy.

Golf Tournament

The second annual Friends of the Library Golf Tournament will be on Saturday, June 15 at the Guthrie Center Golf Course. The 4-person best ball tournament will begin at 9 a.m. The cost is $60 per person; registration includes lunch and a cart. Sign up on the library website, call or email the library, or call Rod Robson at 641-757-1409. Businesses can still sign up to sponsor the event as well.

The MJB Library Seed Library is ready for use. For no cost, patrons may stop in and select up to eight packages of seeds per month to grow vegetables, herbs or flowers. While you’re at the library, be sure to take a look at our extensive collection of books on gardening.