By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The annual library book sale is currently underway. Stop in and take a look. We have children’s books, fiction, cookbooks, craft books, gardening, home improvement books and nonfiction. Books are available for a free will donation. You receive new books, and your donation to Friends of the Guthrie Center Library helps provide items to support special projects to help your local library thrive. So come in, take a look at the vast selection of books, and take some new reads home with you.

Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will have their regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 5, at 6:15 p.m. at the MJB Library. Please join us to support the library. New members are welcome to attend.

The Iowa Adventure Pass is up and running again. Sponsored by Friends of the Guthrie Center Library, the Iowa Adventure Pass gives library cardholders the opportunity to discover and explore museums, gardens, zoos, and other destinations across Iowa — for free. How It Works: reserve your pass online at www.guthriecenter.lib.ia.us/iowa-libraries-adventure-pass, print or download your confirmation, present your confirmation and a valid ID at the destination for free admission for two adults and two children (unless otherwise specified). Passes from the Mary J Barnett Memorial Public Library are available exclusively for Guthrie Center residents.

On Thursday, July 24, at 4 p.m., the library will be hosting Creation Corner for youth of all ages. Be sure to pre-register to participate in the creative crafts that we have planned. Our next LEGO Mania Day will be at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7; registration is open now.

Preschool Story Hour is at 10 a.m. every Friday. The next story hour will be Christmas in July. Join us for fun stories followed by a special craft project.

Both book clubs have extra copies of books available if you would like to join either or both of them. The afternoon book club is reading “The Trouble with You” by Ellen Feldman, a historical fiction novel set after World War II. It tells the story of a young woman navigating the changing roles of women in post-war society. Meanwhile, the evening book club is reading Jeneva Rose’s debut novel, “The Perfect Marriage.” This thrilling and twisty story will keep you engrossed until the surprising ending that you won’t see coming.

Remember that every Monday from 9-11 a.m., cribbage players meet in the Taylor meeting room. On Wednesdays, the bridge club also meets from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor meeting room. All interested card players are welcome.  

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

“Amazon is doing four days of deals. Walmart is doing six. Target said let’s make it a week. The library? We’ve been serving 100% off every single day. No promo codes. No shipping delays. No buyer’s remorse. Just books, movies, internet, events and air conditioning. Totally free. All year long.” This Facebook meme stirred something in me.

I have long considered libraries the physical manifestation of the First Amendment and the great equalizer in our nation. Throughout history, books have been regarded as luxuries that only the wealthy can access, but because of America’s public library system, this is not the case.

Libraries offer free access to ideas, ensuring freedom of thought and speech. Public libraries allow all people in America to access print and digital materials for free.

Every resident of Guthrie Center can afford a library card because library cards are free. If you have an ID, you can get a library card. And if you have a library card, you can access the world. Not only can you borrow materials from our shelves, thanks to our SILO program, which enables us to share resources with many other libraries around the state, but we often obtain requested material that our library might not own.

Our library allows digital access to everyone. We have computers, tablets and Wi-Fi hotspots available for checkout. If you have a device but no Wi-Fi at your home, the library has free Wi-Fi. With your library card and a cell phone or tablet, you can download an app called Libby that allows free access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks, as well as digital copies of magazines to borrow.

Our website offers links to digital resources, including Mometrix eLibrary, digital newspaper archives, DOT practice tests, educational resources and government and legal resources.

Additionally, the library provides activities, clubs and programs for all ages. The library is a source for information and ideas, but it is also a safe place to gather. The library is a great spot for play dates and an after-school hangout. It is a place for teens to work on homework or meet up with friends. Adults often find it a comfortable and relaxing spot to spend some time reading a magazine, putting together a puzzle or gathering with friends.

Thanks to people like Benjamin Franklin who is credited with starting the first book-borrowing library in the U.S. and Andrew Carnegie who used his vast fortune from his steel business to build thousands of libraries in the U.S. and around the world, knowledge and resources in the U.S. don’t just belong to people who have the money to purchase them. Public libraries allow all of us to read the latest best-sellers, acquire the most expensive magazines or access digital resources.

One of the programs that our library is providing for our community this week includes the Guthrie STEM Lab on Wednesday, July 16, at 4 p.m. This tween/teen program will be building rubber band race cars. Those who intend to participate are encouraged to go online and pre-register.

Card-making club will meet on Thursday, July 17, from 9-11 a.m.; this program is led by Judi Zimmerline, who will provide all needed materials to make unique greeting cards. Participants are asked to pay a $5 fee to cover the cost of the consumable materials.

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 17, Cookbook Club will meet to sample and discuss the recipes from “Every Day with Babs,” this month’s featured cookbook. To participate, stop by the library to choose a recipe and then prepare it and bring it to share with the group.

Story Hour for preschoolers and their caregivers will be on Friday, July 18, at 10 a.m. Blue is the topic of the books and crafts for the week.

The evening book club will meet again on Tuesday, July 22, at 5 p.m. to discuss James McBride’s book entitled “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.” If you need a copy of the book, the library has plenty available for checkout.

Cribbage and Bridge Clubs meet from 9-11 a.m. each Monday and Wednesday, respectively. There is no cost, and all are welcome regardless of skill level.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The library is buzzing with activity during July. Even though the summer reading program is over, our calendar is still full. 

The Guthrie County ISU Extension office will share another STEM program this month. On Wednesday, July 9, at 2 p.m., youth can participate in the robotics and programming activity in the Taylor meeting room. 

On Thursday, July 10 at 4 p.m., the library will have a LEGO Mania program that is open to kids of all ages. On July 16, at 4 p.m., the Guthrie Center STEM Lab for tweens and teens is scheduled. Creation Corner will be at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 24 for all ages. Pre-registration is requested for these programs as we have a 25-person limit. 

Preschool Story Hour is each Friday at 10 a.m. On July 10, the theme for the day will be red. Blue is the topic of July 18, and on July 25, participants will celebrate Christmas in July. 

As usual, Cribbage and Bridge Club will meet from 9-11 a.m. each Monday and Wednesday respectively. New players are always welcome.

MJB Library has two book clubs. The afternoon book club will be meeting on Tuesday, July  8, at 3 p.m. to discuss “Long Island” by Colm Toibin. The evening book club will be sharing about “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride at 5 p.m. on July 22. Be sure to stop in and check out a book if you would like to join. 

Card-making club will meet from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, July 17. Participants are asked to pay a $5 fee to cover the cost of all the materials. CookBook Club is at 6:30 p.m. on July 17. Participants in the cookbook club should stop by the library to pick a recipe to prepare and bring to share with the group on July 17. 

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

MJB Library wrapped up its Summer Reading Program on Friday, June 27 with a Level Up at the Library party. HomeTown Foods provided grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for the celebration; the MJB Library extends their thanks to HomeTown Foods for their generous support of the Summer Reading Program.  

Following lunch, prizes were drawn. Participants earned drawing tickets by turning in reading logs, activity sheets and by attending library programs. After the drawing, each child was able to choose new books to take home for his or her personal library. Prizes and programs for the summer reading program were made possible by grants that were designated for the summer reading program.

Forty-six children signed up for the summer reading program, and those children logged 38,330 minutes of reading time during the month of June.

Readers who won prizes include Chase Betts, Emmerich Hernandez, Edward Irlbeck, Rylee Irlbeck, Clark Knobbe, Hadley Knobbe, Kane Knobbe, Eli Langgaard, William Langgaard, Ella Lewis, Chance Nielsen, Piper Peterson, Brylon Redfern, Kroy Redfern, Ainsley Schreiber, Merrick Schreiber, Reagan Terwilliger and Blair Tinken.

Please plan ahead for your holiday reading needs since the MJB Library will be closed on Friday, July 4. We will be open our normal Saturday hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 5.

The Guthrie County ISU Extension will be presented two STEAM programs for our youth during July. On Wednesday, July 2, at  2 p.m., they will have a workshop entitled “Pinball Machine.” On Wednesday, July 9, the 2 p.m. program will be about robotics and coding.

The library will have LEGO Mania at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 10. Guthrie STEM Lab will be on Wednesday, July 16 at 4 p.m.; this event is geared to tween and teen participants. Younger children must be accompanied by an adult helper if they are attending the STEM Lab as the activities are more challenging. Creation Corner on Thursday, July 24, at 4 p.m. is open to all school age youth. Please pre-register for these events as we have spots for 25 participants.

Cribbage and Bridge groups meet at the Taylor meeting room from 9-11 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday respectively. Players of all skill levels are encouraged to join.

Between the Covers Book Club will meet on Tuesday, July 8 at 3 p.m. The group will be reading Colm Toibin’s “Long Island.”

Members of Reads Well With Others evening book club may stop by at their convenience to check out a copy of our July read, “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride. In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. As these characters’ stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins of white, Christian America struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the town’s white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community — heaven and Earth — that sustain us.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The MJB Library and Friends of the Guthrie Center Library would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the Third Annual Fundraising Golf Tournament. Thanks to the community’s support, the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library were able to pay for the replacement of the drinking fountain in the library with a fountain that also features a water bottle filler. 

We would like to extend a big thank you to the businesses that were golf tournament sponsors. Those businesses are listed below: Bruner, Bruner & Reinhart; Calvert Langgaard & Co PLLC; Courtney Tax Services; DubP Apparel; Edward Jones; Excel Ag LC; Gap Creek Quilting Mercantile; GIT Insurance; Guthrie County Quality Meats; Guthrie County State Bank; Guthrie Family Medicine Center; Haver Lumber; HomeTown Foods-Guthrie Center; HomeTown Foods-Panora; Incredibowl; Lake Lumber; Local Liquor; Panora Fiber; People’s Bank; Primetime; Rod Robson-BH Realty; Schreiber Family Chiropractic; State Farm Insurance; Synergy Wellness; The News Gazette; Twin Vines Vineyard; Vicki Crannell-Realtor; Wetzel Repair. 

Thanks also to the following individual sponsors of the golf event: Cricket’s Garden; The Flanery Farms (Dennis Flanery); Mary Leighty. And our volunteers from the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library Board, Vicki Crannell, Mary Leighty, Debbie Menning, Diane Flanery, Library Director Jerri Hawkins, and Guthrie Center Golf Course employees, and Rod Robson.

The Friends of the Guthrie Center Public Library, together with the library staff, wish to extend their sincere appreciation to Guthrie County Quality Meats and Fox Countertops for their generous donation of $500 to the Friends of the Guthrie Center Public Library. We also would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to Roxy Schwartz for her gracious support to the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library. Your contributions make a meaningful impact on our community.

We are heading into our final week of Summer Reading Program, but remember, you can “Level Up at the Library” all year long. On Wednesday, June 25, the Guthrie County ISU Extension Office will have a program for all ages at 2 p.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. 

Those who are registered for the summer reading program need to turn in all reading logs and activity sheets by the close of the library on Thursday, June 26 to be included in the prize drawings. 

Our summer reading program finale will be on Friday, June 27 at noon. HomeTown Foods in Guthrie Center will be providing burgers, and we will draw for prizes for the reading program participants. 

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

The Summer Reading Program (SRP), Level Up at the Library, is buzzing with excitement. Forty-six enthusiastic children have signed up, joined by many other youth participating in our thrilling activities.

Registered participants are reminded to continue tracking their reading minutes and completing their progress sheets. When the sheet is full, return it to the library to be included in the final prize drawings. Also, youth who are registered get an extra chance in the drawing for each library activity they attend during SRP month.  

This coming week, the always popular DNR Conservationist Anne Riordan will be here to present a program entitled Animal Olympics. The program will be on Thursday, June 19, at 2 p.m. in the youth area of the library.  

On Friday, June 20, the weekly preschool story hour will take place at 10 a.m. Stories and the craft will have the theme “messes.”

This month’s creation corner will be SRP Creation Stations on Monday, June 23, at 4 p.m. We have some exciting crafts planned for participants including Perler Bead Crafts, Make your Own Puzzle, and Jellyfish Salt Painting. Be sure to register online.

Even with all the youth programs, adult programs are going on as usual. Card-making class will be on Thursday, June 19, from 9-11 a.m. A $5 fee for each participant covers the cost of all materials and supplies needed to create lovely, hand-made greeting cards.  

The Cookbook Club also meets on Thursday, July 19, at 6:30 p.m. Participants are reminded to stop by the MJB Library to choose a recipe from this month’s featured cookbook, “Magnolia Bakery Handbook: Volume 2, Icebox Desserts.” Bring the dessert of your choice to share when you come to the meeting.  

Cribbage is each Monday morning from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. Bridge Club is each Wednesday morning from 9-11 a.m. Both groups welcome card players of all skill levels. 

The evening book club will meet on Tuesday, June 24, at 5 p.m. The group will be discussing “What Alice Forgot” by Liane Moriarty. The afternoon group will meet on July 8 at 3 p.m. to discuss “Long Island” by Colm Toibin. We have extra copies of both of these books available to check out.