By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette
“Rainy days and Mondays always get me down,” sang Karen Carpenter in 1974. Great song, but the Carpenters got it wrong. Rainy days and Mondays always make me want to read. That’s the way the lyrics should go.
Last week, one of our patrons who is a voracious reader stopped in early on one of those drizzly, overcast days. As I checked out the last of her half dozen books, I said, “I hope you’re going to have some time to read today.”
She said, “I have some things left on my to-do list. I’m considering saving the rest for another day and going home to snuggle up with a book, a blanket and some munchies. What do you think I should do?” Could she have asked me an easier question? As I handed her the receipt that tells her when her books are due, I notice a sentence at the bottom. “Wow. In 2025, you have saved $2, 615.” That’s a lot of money, and we are not even half way through the year.
We at MJB Library firmly support the idea of abandoning the to-do list to read on rainy days, Mondays, and, really, any day. Not only do we support this, we enable it. Next time you check out materials from the library, look at the bottom of your receipt to see how much money you have saved by utilizing your library. The more you read, the more you save. Shoot, you can’t afford not to check out a big old stack of books and head home to read on the next rainy day.
We have a huge variety of new fiction and nonfiction books for adults and kids. Our audiobooks for youth section is expanding with new Playaway books as well as new read-along Vox Books and Wonderbooks. The library has been adding to our beginning reader collection also. For those rainy days when everyone is confined to the house, there are new DVDs for kids and families as well as for adults.
Creation Corner is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, at 3:30 p.m., so be sure to get signed up for the chance to make a fun craft project.
The month of June holds many exciting events for library patrons of all ages. Our Summer Reading Kick Off Begins on June 3 with our Magic Class scheduled for noon. Kids preschool through middle school are invited to sign up for our summer reading program; sign-up can be completed on our library website or by calling or emailing the library if you have difficulty with the online sign up.
On June 4 through June 7, the Iowa PBS STEM Activity Trailer will be at the MJB Library. Loaded with STEM educational toys and activities, the trailer will provide new and challenging activities each day in the youth section of the library.
Thursday, June 5, at 4 p.m., LEGO Mania is scheduled. Guthrie STEM Lab will be Monday, June 9 at 4 p.m. Be sure to pre-register for both of these activities as we only have room for 25 participants. As usual, preschool story hour will be each Friday at 10 a.m.
Between the Covers afternoon book club will be discussing “The First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston on Tuesday, May 10 at 3 p.m. Reads Well with Others evening book club will meet on Tuesday, June 24 to discuss “What Alice Forgot” by Liane Moriarty.
Wednesday, June 3, the Guthrie County ISU Extension will present a STEM program at noon. On Friday, June 13, the library hours will be extended to have our Prehistoric Pep Rally with Dino Ranger Anthony. Back by popular demand, Dino Ranger Anthony will share stories and information about dinosaurs with our group. The Prehistoric Pep Rally will begin at 1 p.m. You will not want to miss this exciting event.
Be sure to get your team signed up for the Friends of the Library Golf Tournament. The $60 per person registration fee includes lunch and a golf cart. This four person best ball tournament is Saturday, June 14 at the Guthrie Center Golf Course. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Register online at the MJB Library website. Businesses wanting to sponsor a hole can contact the library or a member of Friends of the Library. Profits from this event will be going to pay for the replacement of the broken water fountain in the library.
Our electronic game table is a lot of fun for kids of all ages.
Enfys McMurry, Pulitzer Prize nominated author, spoke about her book “Disaster at 39,000 Feet: How Small-Town America Came Together at a Time of Crisis” last Saturday. The audience was fascinated by her account of the 1962 plane crash. For those who missed this riveting talk, McMurry’s book is available to check out at the MJB Library.
Miss Cass shares a fun book during story hour which is each Friday at 10 a.m.
Friends of the Library member Debbie Menning introduced the guest speaker, author Enfys McMurry, last Saturday.
Johnny and David love constructing at the LEGO table.
Bennett and his grandma enjoy a quiet moment during story hour.