By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

With the new year underway, remember that the MJB Library is here to help you reach your goals for 2026. According to recent surveys, in addition to the ever-popular New Year’s resolutions like exercising more and eating healthier, Americans are resolving to improve their quality of life by setting goals to be happier, read more and learn new things.  

Whatever patrons are resolving for 2026, the MJB Library has resources to support the goals. The library has cookbooks and resources about healthy eating, weight loss and exercise. Books about relaxation, meditation and mindfulness can jump-start efforts to improve quality of life.

Puzzles, games, movies and books are available for check out for those who are working toward adding relaxation, more family time or more reading to their routines.  

Patrons who are looking to learn a new skill or enhance a skill they already have should consider the library programs that are offered each month. Be sure to follow the calendar of events on the library website and consult the monthly newsletter to see what programs are available to everyone in the community. For library card holders with a Guthrie Center address, remember to take advantage of the expanded offerings of the Adventure Pass. 

Crafty community members, you are invited to join the Craft and Connect group who meet each Monday from 4-6 p.m. The participants bring whatever project they might be working on, a warm beverage and drop in at the library to work and visit with other creative people while they create. 

Between the Covers afternoon book club will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 3 p.m. Charles Martin’s novel “When Crickets Cry,” the January book club selection, takes readers on an emotional journey focused on a heart surgeon and a little girl whose heart won’t last much longer and how their lives change because of their encounter. For people who are interested in joining the book club, copies are available for checkout at the MJB Library. 

“The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” by Anna Johnston is available for check out for members of the Reads Well with Others evening book club. The next meeting will be at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

Youth events for January include LEGO Mania Day on Wednesday, Jan. 14, and Creation Corner on Wednesday, Jan. 28. Both events are at 2 p.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room with pre-registration preferred. Interested participants may sign up on the MJB Library website. 

Story Hour for preschoolers and their caretakers will continue on each Friday at 10 a.m.  Snowflakes will be the focus of the stories and crafts on Jan. 9. The theme for Jan. 16 is cold with winter being the topic of Jan. 23’s story hour. On Jan. 30, story hour will feature seasons.

Card players are invited to join the weekly groups at the MJB Library. Cribbage players meet on Monday mornings from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. Bridge Class meets each Wednesday morning from 9-11 a.m. Both groups are always excited to welcome new players of all skill levels. 

Cookbook Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15 to taste and discuss recipes from “The Amish Friends’ No Waste Cookbook” by Wanda Brunsteader. To join the Cookbook Club, stop by the library and choose a recipe from the selected cookbook. Prepare the recipe and bring it to the meeting to share with the group on the third Thursday of each month. Patrons who have an interest in joining the cookbook club can call the library with questions. 

On Thursday, Jan. 15 from 9-11 a.m., the card-making class will be held in the Taylor Meeting Room for anyone who would like to make one-of-a-kind greeting cards. All supplies are provided for a $5 fee to cover the cost of card-making materials. 

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The MJB Library staff is gearing up for an exciting 2026 for our patrons. In case Santa didn’t bring you the books or movies that were on your list, we can help you out. 

Remember that our Festival of Trees will go on until Jan. 2, so you still have time to come and enjoy the beauty of the season. A reminder for groups with trees: we encourage you to pick up your trees during library hours between Jan. 2 and Jan. 10. 

Please remember that we will have holiday hours this week. We will close at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31 and will be closed all day on Thursday, Jan. 1. We will resume regular hours on Friday, Jan. 2, opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 1 p.m. There will be no preschool story hour on Friday, Jan. 2.

Our card classes will meet at their regular times in the new year. Cribbage will be on Mondays from 9-11 a.m., and Bridge Class will meet Wednesday at the same time. Both groups meet in the Taylor Meeting Room.

Our newest adult group, Craft and Connect, will meet on Mondays each week from 4-6 p.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. Creative people are encouraged to bring their current creative project and join the group. 

Friends of the Library will have their first meeting of the new year on Monday, Jan. 5 at 6:15 p.m. Members are reminded that this is a good time to pay yearly dues. Nonmembers are invited to attend and see what Friends of the Library do.  

Preschool Story Hour will resume as usual on Friday, Jan. 9 at 10 a.m. Preschoolers of all ages and their caretakers are invited to attend for stories and a craft. 

Youth activities for this month include LEGO Mania day on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. and Creation Corner on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. Preregistration is preferred.

Book Club members for the afternoon and evening book clubs are reminded to stop by the library to pick up the January book.  Books are here and ready for checkout. 

Patrons who have collections or hobbies that they would like to display for a month in our library display case should contact the library to sign up.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

As the end of the year draws near, consumers are inundated with “Best of” lists from the year. In that spirit, the MJB Library would like to share the most popular books of 2025.

Adult Fiction  

1. “Broken Country” by Clare Leslie Hall
2. “James: A Novel” by Percival Everett
3.  “The Crash” by Freida McFadden
4. “The Mirror” by Nora Roberts
5. “Ward D” by Freida McFadden

Adult Nonfiction

1. “Cabin: Off-the-grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman” by Patrick Hutchison
2. “Dear Sister: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Unbreakable Bonds” by Judith Summers
3. “The Let Them Theory: a Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About” by Mel Robbins
4. “The Boys of Riverside: a Deaf Football Team and a Quest for Glory” by Thomas Fuller
5. “Wiseguys and the White House: Gangsters, Presidents, and the Deals they Made” by Eric Dezenhall

Large Print Books 

1. “The Sawmill Book Club” by Carolyn Brown
2. “West with Giraffes: a Novel” by Lynda Rutledge
3. “The Edge of Nowhere” by William W. Johnstone
4. “The Queen’s Cook” by Tessa Afshar
5. “Montana Courage” by Caroline Fyffe

Movies

1. “Moana 2”
2. “Inside Out 2”
3. “Wicked”
4. “Inside Out”
5. “A Minecraft Movie”

Juvenile Fiction

1. “The Couch Potato” by Jory John
2. “The New Girl” by Cassandra Calin
3. “The Bad Seed Goes to the Library: Level”  by Jory John
4. “Squished” by Megan Wagner Lloyd
5. “Dog Man: Big Jim Begins” by Dav Pilkey

Kids’ Books

1. “Disney Princess 5-Minute Princess Stories” by Disney Books
2. “Cranky Makes a Friends” by Phuc Tran
3. “Bluey–Jingle Bells” 
4. “Bluey: How to Be Romance with Bluey and Bingo”
5. “Disney Moana 2: The Great Voyage” by Natasha Bouchard

Young Adult

1. “ Empire of Storms” by Sara J. Maas
2. “Shatter Me” by Tahereh Mafi
3. “The Reappearance of Rachel Price” by Holly Jackson
4. “American Royals” by Katharine McGee
5. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by JK Rowling

Top Five Most Circulated Materials

1. Hotspots
2. Country Compilation Jigsaw Puzzle
3. Goggles for Immersive Reality Books
4. Department Store Jigsaw Puzzle
5. Memory Lane Jigsaw Puzzle

Most Circulated Library Materials, including all media, equipment, and hardware

1. Apple iPad
2. Computer
3. “Super Smash Bros: Ultimate (Nintendo Switch) 
4. “Broken Country: A Novel” by Clare Leslie Hall
5. “James: A Novel” by Percival Everett

Stop in and check out some of these most circulated materials and see why they were so popular.

The MJB Library Festival of Trees will be up until Jan. 2, so stop in and take some time to enjoy the beauty of the season. For those who decorated a tree for the festival, please plan to pick up your tree during library hours between Jan. 2 and Jan. 10.  

Book club members, stop in and get your copies of the January books. Between the Covers afternoon book club will be reading “When Crickets Cry” by Charles Martin. “The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” by Anna Johnston is the selection for the Reads Well With Others evening book club. Both selections are available on Libby with a reduced wait time for MJB Library patrons; ebooks and audiobooks are available. 

Cribbage Club meets each Monday from 9-11 a.m., and Bridge Club meets at the same time on Wednesdays. Both groups meet in the Taylor Meeting Room and welcome new participants. MJB Library’s newest group, Craft and Connect, meets weekly on Monday evenings from 4-6 p.m.  Craft and Connect participants just need to bring whatever craft they are working on and socialize with other creative folks while working. 

Preschool Story Hour takes place each Friday at 10 a.m. in the children’s area of the library. Preschoolers and their caretakers are invited to come listen to some stories and do a craft. On Dec. 26, the theme will be cold and snow. There will be no story hour on Friday, Jan. 2.  

Patrons are reminded that the library will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Thursday, Dec. 25, for Christmas.  On Wednesday, Dec. 31, the library will close at 3 p.m. for New Year’s Eve and will remain closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1.

This creative group attended the Creation Corner on Dec. 17 to make some holiday crafts.

Library Director Jerri Hawkins read “The Night Before Christmas” to the Preschool Story Hour group on Friday.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

Craft and Connect is a new library program that meets every Monday from 4-6 p.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. Crafters and creators are invited to bring their current projects and join the group. Bring a cozy beverage and your latest craft project and enjoy a couple of hours of creative work alongside fellow crafters.

The group started meeting in the first week of December and has grown from three to eight attendees. Craft and Connect originated when some members of the evening book club came together to make decorations for the library’s Festival of Trees. One member suggested starting a crafting club, allowing people to work on their individual projects while socializing with other creative individuals.

When the idea was presented to Library Director Jerri Hawkins, she scheduled the group to begin the following Monday, and Craft and Connect was established. The group plans to meet weekly at least through the winter months, and everyone is welcome. 

Last week, attendees were engaged in various activities, including crochet, scrapbooking, coloring and embroidery, among others.

So, grab your coffee and your crafts, and stop by on Mondays from 4-6 p.m.

Creation Corner for Youth will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 2-3 p.m. All ages are welcome.

The Card Making Class is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 18, from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. There is a $5 fee for materials.

The Cookbook Club will hold its annual cookie exchange on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to bring two dozen cookies to share with the group.

Story Hour is set for Friday, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. for preschoolers and their caregivers. This week’s topic will be Christmas.

Please remember that the library will be closed on Dec. 24 and 25 for Christmas. We will close at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31 for New Year’s Eve and will remain closed all day on Thursday, Jan. 1 in celebration of New Year’s Day.

Craft and connect members enjoy some social time while they work on their latest project.

If you’re crafty and want to enjoy some social time while you work, come to MJB Library Craft and Connect Mondays from 4-6 p.m.

Holly Boughs, a quilt made by Cindy Steensen, is on display in the library this month. Stop by before the month is over, since the photo doesn’t do justice to this stunning piece of art.

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.