Special to the Times Vedette
Spring is on the way, which means the MJB Library Summer Reading Program is just around the corner. The month of June will be jam-packed with fun reading activities, so plan to spend some quality time at the library. This year’s theme is “Read, Renew, Repeat.”
In the meantime, MJB Library has many exciting events planned for all ages. For preschoolers and their caretakers, Story Hour is every Friday morning at 10 a.m. On Friday, March 15, our special guest will be Miss Iowa.
Afterschool Programs
The Guthrie County ISU Extension is sharing an after school STEM workshop from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 18. Participants will be doing some spring-themed reading and activities. STEM afterschool programs are also scheduled for Monday, April 22 and Monday, May 20.
History of Farming program
On Tuesday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m., Living History Farms will be presenting a program at the MJB Library about the History of Farming in Iowa. Learn how agriculture has evolved over the past several centuries in Iowa, from Native American farmers to 1850s settlers to the golden age of horse-powered farming. Photographs from the museum’s historic working farms will highlight the changes in what was grown on an Iowa farm, what tools and power were necessary, and the impact on farming families. Sign up online or by calling or emailing the library, as we have a 50-person limit for this special event.
Card-making Class
Card-making class will meet from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, March 21. Led by Judi Zimmerline, participants will learn to make stunning hand-made greeting cards. The $5 fee covers the cost of all needed materials.
Cookbook Club
“Big Bites: Wholesome, Comforting Recipes that Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun” by Kat Ashmore will be the source for the recipes that will be samples at cookbook club on Thursday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. If you would like to participate, stop in the library to sign up for a recipe. Bring your dish and your appetite and come to the cookbook club to discuss the recipes in this month’s selection.
Clubs
Cribbage meets every Monday morning from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room while the bridge class is every Wednesday morning from 9-11 a.m. New players are welcome, regardless of skill level.
Friends of the Library
Friends of the Library will be meeting at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. They will be planning their June golf fundraiser.
Bluegrass Music and Cattle Drive Program
Mark your calendar for a fun and informative program at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. Joan Wells and Kris Simon will be presenting “Up the Nebraska Cattle Trail and Songs of the West” as part of the Speakers Bureau Living History Program. Wells and Simon will share the story of cattle drives on the Western Trail from Texas to Nebraska while sharing the origin of Western music and singing the songs of the early-day cowboys. Be ready to learn some history and enjoy some bluegrass music.
Between the Covers
The April book club pick, “How Beautiful We Were” by Imbolo Mbue, is available to check out. The novel, which is set in the fictional African village of Kosawa, tells of a people living in fear amid environmental problems caused by an American oil company. Children are dying from drinking toxic water, and farmland is infertile because of pipeline spills. Promises of cleanup and financial reparations to the villagers are made and ignored. The country’s government, led by a dictator, exists to serve its own interests. Left with few choices, the people of Kosawa decide to fight back. Their struggle will last for decades and come at a steep price.