By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette
Valentine’s Day is coming up on Saturday, Feb. 14 (same day every year, guys!). Tired of doing the same thing year after year? Maybe this year, use the resources at the library to plan a special Valentine’s Day event for your love. Or consider a family Valentine’s Day Celebration of some type. MJB Library is here to help you plan a fun, unique and affordable celebration.
Plan a romantic night of stargazing; the MJB Library has a telescope for checkout. Make a charcuterie board to nibble while you look at the stars; we have books to help you do that.
A romantic, candlelight dinner is always special. Need help planning a menu? MJB Library has an extensive cookbook collection to consult.
In the mood to snuggle up and enjoy a movie? We have DVDs to check out. Romantic comedies, mysteries, action movies, series that are on a streaming service you don’t subscribe to — we’ve got you covered.
If a jigsaw puzzle and snacks by the fire are your idea of a cozy date night, we have plenty of puzzles of all sizes and difficulty levels.
Want to make a special gift for your loved one? We have candy molds and cake pans to bake special treats. Our craft sections can help you make a scrapbook, candles, soaps or many other unique gifts.
Planning a “Galentine’s Day” Party with your friends? How about cocktails (we have books with recipes) and games? The library offers an extensive collection of board games and card games for checkout. Cards against Humanity and Cosmopolitans, anyone? Have a spa night; we have books to teach you how to make at-home spa treatments using herbs and ingredients found in your kitchen. Craft night is always more fun with friends, and we have dozens of books with crafts you can make at home. Make some appetizers and binge-watch a favorite series.
Want to include the family in your Valentine’s Day celebration? Consider using our Iowa adventure pass to take a family trip to the Blank Park Zoo, the Blue Zoo, or the Science Center of Iowa.
Make a special meal together with the kids. Our children’s section has several cookbooks geared toward young chefs. Have a craft night using ideas from our youth books. Pick a topic that your kids love and read books together about that. Dinosaur fans will love the virtual reality books about Jurassic creatures. The library also has family-friendly games, puzzles and movies.
Want to show your love by teaching your kids to love reading? Snuggle up with a picture book and read together. Older kids are big fans of audiobooks and our Play Away Collection. Put on an audiobook and listen as a family while you put together a puzzle.
Not a fan of Valentine’s Day? We can help you, too. We have a large selection of Freida McFadden and Stephen King novels. Check out our book display of books that are being made into movies. Spring is just around the corner, so maybe you’d like to check out a gardening book to start planning your flower and vegetable gardens. Read a magazines and relax; we have a large selection of magazines available. Check out the “Downton Abbey” DVDs, make a pot of tea, and have a marathon.
No matter how you decide to celebrate, the library is here for you. We have so many resources available to treat yourself and make the day special and budget-friendly.
Library patrons might have had a problem accessing the Libby App, the Iowa Adventure pass, or might have gotten a message saying it’s time to renew their library card. Renewing your library card is important to verify your contact information (address, email, phone) and residency, ensuring you remain eligible for library services. This process is typically required every one to three years and helps clear any fines, allows for account updates, and maintains access to resources.
The key reasons to renew your library card are first, to verify your contact information; this ensures the library has your current address and contact details. Second, this adds a layer of account security; the library can confirm ownership and resolve any outstanding fines blocking access. The third reason is to maintain access; it prevents expiration that could limit borrowing, computer use, and access to digital services like Libby or OverDrive. The final reason is that it is a library policy. Libraries are required to make regular updates to keep their patron database accurate.
So if you are having difficulties or if you suspect it’s time to renew your library card, contact the library. The entire process is complete in a matter of minutes.
Book club members, books are in and available for checkout for both book clubs. Between the Covers afternoon book club will be reading Emily Henry’s romantic comedy “Funny Story,” while the evening book club, Reads Well With Others, will be reading Freida McFadden’s thriller “The Tenant.”
Remember that Craft and Connect meets weekly on Mondays from 4-6 p.m. Cribbage meets each Monday from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room, and the Bridge Class will play every Wednesday from 9-11 a.m.
LEGO Mania day will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11, and Creation Corner will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. Youth of all ages are encouraged to attend. Pre-registration is preferred.
February Story Hour for Preschoolers and their caretakers are each Friday at 10 a.m. Feb. 6, the theme is love. Valentine’s Day is the focus of Feb. 13 while owls will be the topic of Feb. 20. On Feb. 27, cookies will be the subject of story hour.
Friends of the Library will meet at 6:15 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2. The library has some exciting events and activities in the works for 2026, so if you would like to support the library, joining The Friends of Guthrie Center Library would be a great way to do that.
After making the craft, creation corner participants made bookmarks and colored Valentine’s Day totes.
Each finished paper heart chain was unique. The next Creation Corner will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18.
Kids of all ages are welcome at Creation Corner. Ezra enjoyed creating the project.
Mrs. Meneffe and her helper Hadley demonstrate how to make the Valentine’s Day craft for the January Creation Corner.