Reads Well with Others evening book club met last week to discuss “The Perfect Marriage” by Jeneva Rose. The group meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 5-6 p.m. We welcome all who enjoy discussing books.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

Sept. 28 is National Good Neighbor Day. Signed into law in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter, people have been celebrating this holiday in big and small ways ever since. After 47 years, this holiday is not very widely known or celebrated. We at the MJB Library would like to invite you all to help us change that.  

Growing up, neighbors were a big part of life. Neighbor kids were my first friends; we traveled in a pack from yard to yard, where every mom treated us like we were their own. Parents coffeed and played cards with the neighbors. If we ran out of milk when the store was closed, we could borrow some from the neighbor next door.  

When I got older, we moved to a farm. Neighbors were further away but were still an important part of life. They were on the party telephone line we shared. We chored for them when they had to be out of town. We took extra zucchini and tomatoes to them when our gardens were bountiful, and they would send us home with a bag of sweet corn. When their cows got out, we drove the cows back home and helped the neighbors fix the fence.  

Growing up, neighbor wasn’t just a noun to describe the people who lived nearby. Neighbor was a verb. We neighbored. When someone was sick and couldn’t do their farmwork, the neighbors would organize and do the necessary tasks. If there was a death in the family, we made food and paid the neighbors  a visit. When a family had a problem, the neighbors pitched in to help out. That is how people neighbored.  

Our world has changed, and so have relationships with neighbors. These days, it seems like being a good neighbor involves being quiet and minding your own business. National Good Neighbor Day seems like an opportunity to change this. 

American author Stuart Dybek said, “The public library is where place and possibility meet.” We at MJB Library agree, so we are inviting you to join us in celebrating Nations Good Neighbor Day this year. We think that a hopeful neighborhood is one with a focus on possibilities, and National Good Neighbor Day is full of possibilities.  

We invite you to stop by the library and follow our news articles and website this month to see the ways you can join us in  celebrating National Good Neighbor Day. 

Share your talents

As we begin planning our fall and winter library programs, we invite you to be in touch with us if you have a skill or talent you would like to share through a program. We would love to have programs by local neighbors who want to share their skills with others. Almost anything can be made into an interesting program. Call or email the library with your program ideas. 

We are still looking for people who have collections or hobbies that they can share in our display case each month. Art, crafts, collectibles — all are welcome to be displayed at the library for a month. Please contact the MJB Library if you have something you are willing to share. 

Kids’ programs

Wednesday, Sept. 10, is LEGO Mania Day at MJB Library; the fun begins at 2 p.m. Guthrie STEM Lab will be Monday, Sept. 15 at 4 p.m., and Creation Corner will be Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. Please remember to preregister for these events online.  

We will have Friday Story Hour each Friday at 10 a.m. for our preschool patrons and their caregivers. Join us for a story and a craft! Sept. 5, the theme will be planes; trains are the story hour topic on Sept. 12.  The focus of story hour on Sept. 19 will be cars, and on Sept. 26, tractors will be the featured topic. 

Book Club Books

Anyone wishing to participate in either or both of the book clubs can stop by to check out this month’s selection.  Between the Covers afternoon book club will be discussing “West with Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 3 p.m. Nora Robert’s novel “Inheritance” is the book for Reads Well With Others, the evening book club. The evening club will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 5 p.m.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

New things are coming to the MJB Library. Thanks to a generous gift to the library, a new sofa and chairs were purchased for the adult area. The new furniture is intended to be more friendly to adults because the higher seats allow for ease in getting in and out of the chairs.  

The furnishings previously in that area have been moved to the teen area to allow for more comfortable seating in that area. 

Another new addition that will be coming soon is the Memory Lab, which is a collection of equipment that can be used for converting different kinds of recordings, videos and pictures into digital files that can be stored on a USB drive or SD card. The equipment includes Eyesen 8 mm and super 8 reels, Elgato Video Capture, and Kodak Slide and Scan, as well as various peripherals and software programs for digitizing videos from DVD, VHS and 8 mm film formats. Materials that are copyrighted may not be duplicated.  

Library closures

Because of county fair activities on Friday, Aug. 29, there will be no preschool story hour; the library will, however, be open the regular 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. hours that day. Due to the county fair and parade, the library will be closed Saturday, Aug. 30. Monday, Sept. 1, the library will be closed all day in observance of Labor Day.  

Book clubs

Between the Covers afternoon book club will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 3 p.m. to discuss the Lynda Rutledge novel entitled “West With Giraffes.” Reads Well With Others, the evening book club will meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23, to discuss “Inheritance” by Nora Roberts. Copies of both books are available at the front desk for check out.  

Our after school activities will be in full swing in September. LEGO Mania Day will be Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. Guthrie STEM Lab is Monday, Sept. 15 at 4 p.m. Creation Corner will be Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. Preregistration is required for these activities.  

Thursday, Sept. 18 will be a busy day with card making club taking place from 9-11 a.m. followed by Cookbook Club at 6:30 p.m. As  usual, cribbage will meet from 9-11 a.m. on Mondays, and bridge club will meet the same hours on Wednesdays. 

Ainsley and Merrick proudly show off their finished boats.

Library aide Lynda Menefee helps Merrick construct his boat.

The August STEM Lab provided many challenges for participants as they constructed a boat. Measuring was crucial to having it turn out perfectly.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

In addition to the many materials on our shelves, the Mary J. Barnett Library website provides a huge number of online resources.  We have a new resource called Mometrix, which can be accessed at the website under “online resources.” 

Mometrix eLibrary is a powerful new resource that is a one-stop hub for test prep, study tools and career support. If you need to prepare for a major exam such as the ACT, SAT, GRE, NCLEX, Praxis or civil service tests, or are brushing up on professional certifications or high school placement, Mometrix has what you need. 

If you access the site, here are a few things that you will find: easy-to-follow study guides that break down complex topics; practice tests to help you check your progress; flashcards for fast review; and memorization tools for students, professionals and career changers. All of this is free and available anytime when you log in with your library card.  

In addition to Mometrix, you can find a link to the DOT practice tests, educational resources and home activities. A link to the Digital Newspaper Archives allows access to digital copies of the News Gazette and The Times-Vedette. 

Take some time and explore the online resources that you can access through the Mary J. Barnett Library website. There’s something on there for people of all ages. 

Creation Corner will be Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 4 p.m. for youth of all ages. Join the fun to make creative projects; please remember to preregister for this event.  

Card making class will be from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21. Judi Zimmerline, leader of the class, will share techniques to create unique greeting cards. All materials needed to create cards are provided; participants need to pay a $5 fee to cover materials.  

Friday morning Story Hour for preschoolers on Aug. 22 will center around the topic of cows. Stories begin at 10 a.m., followed by crafts. There will be no Story Hour on Aug. 29 because of county fair activities. 

Reads Well With Others, the evening book club, will meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26, to discuss Jeneva Rose’s thriller entitled “The Perfect Marriage.” Copies are still available for check out for those who would like to join the group. Between the Covers afternoon book club is reading “West with Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge. 

The library will be closed on Saturday, Aug. 29, for the Guthrie County Fair and on Monday, Sept. 1, for Labor Day. Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 2. 

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

Our window replacement project is complete. Stop in and see our beautiful view from the inside looking out. We at the MJB Library would like to thank everyone who made this project possible. Thank you to Lake Lumber, Kelvin Hafner and Kevin Laughery Construction for the outstanding work. A big thank you goes to the City of Guthrie Center and the City Council, as well as the MJB Library Board. The new windows are stunning and energy-efficient. 

Earlier this year, Ten Squared Women kindly donated to Friends of the Library. We are using some of those funds to provide a year-long subscription for Playaway audiobooks in our youth collection. Each month, this subscription will add six new Playaways to our growing collection of youth books. We thank the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library and Ten Squared Women for their generous support of the library. 

Library patrons, remember that in addition to books, the library has many other materials. Specifically, we have some excellent magazines available for checkout. The August/September issue of Our Iowa magazine might be of interest to many of you since Jack and Debbie Coffman’s farm is featured as one of Iowa’s prettiest farms in this edition.  

To all you quilters and collectors, the library is working on our display schedule for the upcoming year. If you have a quilt or a collection that you would like to display at the library for a month, please contact us. Openings are still available for the upcoming year. 

August is slipping away quickly, but the library still has many events on the calendar for patrons of all ages. On Wednesday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m., the library will host the Guthrie STEM Lab for tween and teen aged patrons. Creation Corner is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20 and is geared to youth of all ages. Preregistration is requested for both of these events.  

Our preschool Story Hour will meet at 10 a.m. each Friday. On Aug. 15, preschoolers will learn about horses, while cows will be the theme of Story Hour on Aug. 22. Because of the county fair, there will be no Story Hour on Aug. 29. 

Card-making class will be on Thursday, Aug. 21, from 9-11 a.m. Judi Zimmerline leads this class to create unique greeting cards. Participants will pay a $5 fee, which will cover all needed supplies for this activity. 

Cookbook Club will take a sabbatical this month but will resume again in September. Card players are reminded that the Cribbage Club meets each Monday morning from 9-11 a.m. The Bridge Club meets each Wednesday at the same time. 

The library book sale continues. We have a great supply of children’s books, fiction and nonfiction books, as well as puzzles, games, DVDs and Wii games for sale for free will donations. Proceeds go to the Guthrie Center Friends of the Library to support future projects.

This month’s display features Rich Monthei’s Tea Leaf Lustre Ironstone dish collection. It will be on display through August.

This month’s quilt is on loan from Bryan and Teresa Mowrer. The John Deere quilt was created by Dale Purcell for Bryan.

Ainsley, Merrick and Hadley share their completed LEGO projects.

Participants in the latest LEGO Mania Day work on the task of creating a ship with LEGOs.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

August is Family Fun Month. In case you need help to find ways to celebrate Family Fun Month, the Mary J. Barnett Library is here for you. We have shelves of ways to entertain your family this month.  

The library has a large selection of jigsaw puzzles and board games that are perfect for that family night at home. Our DVD collection features a number of family friendly movies and series to check out. Our Wii games collection is fairly extensive and is a great way for families to play together. 

Our juvenile section of the library has something for every age and interest level. In addition to our picture books and chapter books, we have an extensive selection of read along books. We have Vox and Wonderbooks, which are picture books and chapter books that have a device that allows the child to listen to the audiobook as they follow along with the print text. These are great for children who are too young to read or for beginning or struggling readers who are able to use a multi-sensory approach to reading. Additionally, we have a large selection of Play Away books, which are self-contained audiobooks. The Play Aways are great for kids to listen with headphones, but they are also wonderful for car trips since they can be plugged into your car’s audio system with an auxiliary cord. Listening and discussing books as a family is a great way to foster your children’s imagination and love of reading.

We have some new “Bluey” books, which are quite popular with our youngest patrons. The Moana and Minecraft beginning readers are some of our most-checked-out books with young readers. For dinosaur lovers, the Tyrannosaurus Rex virtual reality book has been a big hit; readers can download an app and use special viewing glasses that pair with a cell phone to enjoy VR content in the book. We are still expanding our Who Was, What Was and Where Was collection of nonfiction books about historical people, places and events which are extremely popular.  

We have a great collection of new chapter books including the latest in the following series: “Judy Moody,” “Sophie Mouse,” “The Forgotten Five” and The Magic Treehouse. The “Who Would Win” series is one that children of all ages enjoy, and we have several new additions to that series. 

Our new children’s “Farm to Table Cookbook” is a great way to involve your child in cooking and to teach them about nutrition and where food comes from. The MJB Library has a large section of children’s cookbooks. These are great not only to teach reading and culinary skills, but also a fun and painless way to learn about fractions and measuring.

Our telescope is available for check out so you can star gaze with your family during the month. While you’re in the library, take time to browse our shelves of book sale items. We have books for all ages as well as some games and puzzles for sale for a free will donation to the Friends of the Library. If you don’t have time to stop at the library, download the Libby app and enjoy ebooks and audiobooks for the entire family.  

Remember that we have a number of children’s activities planned for the month of August including The LEGO Mania Day on Thursday, Aug. 7; STEM Lab on Wednesday, Aug. 13; and Creation Corner on Wednesday, Aug. 20. All of these events begin at 4 p.m., and we request that you preregister your children so we have adequate supplies.

During the school year, we have planned youth events to coincide with the Guthrie Center Elementary school early releases so kids can take the bus to the library and come directly from school to the library activities. Watch our website for additional details. Again, we request that you preregister students for these events. 

Our 10 a.m. preschool Story Hour is filled with fun stories and activities this month. Aug. 8, our topic is sheep. On Aug. 15, horses will be featured while cows are the theme of our Aug. 22 event. We will skip Story Hour on Aug. 29, as it is county fair week.

If you are still needing family fun ideas, be sure to consider checking out the Iowa Adventure Pass to one of the three venues that we offer: the Blank Park Zoo, The Children’s Museum, and the Science Center. See our website for details and instructions. 

Our 3:00 o’clock book club will meet on Aug. 12 to discuss “The Trouble with You.” Reads Well with Others evening book club will be discussing Jeneva Rose’s thriller “The Perfect Marriage” on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 5 p.m. Both books are available for check out at the library.

Card making class will be Thursday, Aug. 21 from 9-11 a.m. Supplies are provided for a $5 materials fee. Cookbook Club will take a hiatus this month but will be back in September. 

Please remember that Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will meet on Aug. 4 at 6:15 p.m. If you’re not already a member, this is a great time to get involved and support the library. 

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

July is over, but the library still has a month of summer fun planned. Our schedule is jammed packed with events for patrons to enjoy.

August Story Hours will feature animal themes. Aug. 1 will focus on farms while Aug. 8 will have a sheep theme. Horses will be the topic of Aug. 15 with cows being the theme on Aug. 22. There will be no story hour on Aug. 29. Story Hour takes place at 10 a.m. on Fridays and is geared toward preschool age children and their caregivers.  

Youth activities for the month include LEGO Mania Day on Thursday, Aug. 7 at 4 p.m., Guthrie STEM Lab on Wednesday, Aug. 13 at 4 p.m.; and Creation Corner on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 4 p.m. Participants are encouraged to pre-register as only 25 spots are available for each event.

The Friends of the Guthrie Center Library are meeting on Monday, Aug. 4, at 6:15 p.m. Anyone who would like to support the library is invited to join the group at that time. 

The library offers two weekly card clubs. The cribbage players meet each Monday morning from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor meeting room. Bridge club meets at the same place every Wednesday also from 9-11 a.m. Card players of all experience levels are invited to join the fun. 

Between the Covers afternoon book club will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 12, to discuss “The Trouble with You” by Ellen Feldman. Their book for September will be “West with Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge. Reads Well with Others evening book club will discuss the thriller “The Perfect Marriage” by Jeneva Rose on Tuesday, Aug. 26, at 5 p.m. Both book clubs have novels available for check out to anyone who would like to join the groups.

Cookbook Club is taking a month off during August but will be back in September. Card Making Club will meet on Thursday, Aug. 21, from 9-11 a.m. Led by Judi Zimmerline, participants will  create unique greeting cards. There is a $5 fee to cover the cost of supplies. 

In August, the library will be closed for County Fair on Saturday, Aug. 30 and also Monday, Sept. 1 for Labor Day.  

Do you have an interesting collection or hobby that you would like to share with the community? If so, contact Karen at the library. We have display cases in the library, and, each month, we feature a different collection or hobby. 

With a month left before school starts, there is still a lot of time left to take advantage of the Iowa Adventure Pass sponsored by the Friends of the Library. See our website for details. The Adventure Pass is available to adult patrons with a 50115 address, and each pass allows two adults and two children free admission to the Blank Park Zoo, the Science Center of Iowa, or the Children’s Museum once every 365 days. 

Our Friends of the Library Book Sale is still going on. Shoppers will find children’s picture books, beginning readers and juvenile fiction to choose from. There is a huge selection of adult fiction, nonfiction as well as a few games, puzzles, DVDs, and Wii games. Stop and shop and make a donation to the Friends of the Library.