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It’s been a great — and busy — summer at the library.
Our Mega Mondays programs averaged crowds of almost 200 people, and a couple of events had 300 in attendance! Baby & Toddler Lapsit storytime was cuteness overload with 25 babies some weeks. And 318 people signed up for library cards in July alone!
We had special guests from Just for Kix Dance, Yandas Music, Clean Community System and the Crane Trust for our Summer Reading Enrichment program. Shadow the Therapy Mini Horse paid visits to both the Golden Sower Fun Club and Big Kids Club.
Artists Nancy Fairbanks and Jill Canfield led teens in workshops on pottery and painting, respectively, and educators from the Hall County Extension Office presented on houseplant selection and care and how to cook with an Instant Pot.
Using Beanstack, our summer reading tracking app, nearly 750 Grand Island and Hall County readers of all ages collectively logged more than 700,000 minutes and collected 1,900 prizes that included State Fair passes for kids, restaurant gift cards for teens, and t-shirts and a Samsung Galaxy tablet for adults.
As soon as our big summer reading program ended, it was time to dive into planning for fall. We have a great batch of programs coming up. Old favorites like Bygone Book Club for adults and Pajamatime for kids and families are back, plus some new programs we’re very excited to share!
Bookbop, our movement and music-themed storytime for kids through age 11, will be back for the first time since 2019, set for 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. And, by popular demand, we are starting anime and manga clubs for teens and tweens ages 10-18, planned for 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month. Participants can watch anime films and series and discuss their favorites.
Also, on Fridays when there is no school, we’re planning special activities for school-aged kids in the mornings and afternoons. Elementary-aged kids are invited to a special art program at 10:30 a.m. and teens and tweens will have their own programs at 2 p.m.. We’re following the GIPS school calendar for these events.
Aspiring designers, crafters, and digital artists ages 10-18 should mark their calendars for 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16 for our Gateway Makerspace Open House. This first Teen Friday program will coincide with the planned completion of our new ARPA-funded Gateway Makerspace.
Our teen area is directly adjacent to our official Makerspace, which includes a 3-D printer, a laser cutter, a sewing/embroidery machine, a serger, Cricut machines, a sublimation printer, button makers, STEM kits and more.
However, there are multiple barriers to using the Makerspace for teens, the biggest one being that teens younger than 18 need a signed waiver from a parent or guardian to use it. Also, all those cool machines can be kind of intimidating.
The Gateway Makerspace is designed to provide a kind of on-ramp to using the full Makerspace. With ARPA funding we have purchased new teen computers equipped with design software like Inkscape, Paint.NET and Tinkercad.
Also available in the teen area will be crafting and design equipment including pliers, screwdrivers, an electronics repair kit, drafting tools, hole punches, and hand sewing and knitting supplies.
“One by Wacom” input tablets will be available for checkout at the Information Desk that allow users to draw with a pen instead of click and drag with a mouse, making design that much easier.
Also, all the design software on the teen computers is already free, so if they want to, teens will be able to download and install these programs on their home computers without an added financial burden.
All kids’ and teen fall programming starts Tuesday, Sept. 6. Check gilibrary.org or Grand Island Public Library on Facebook and Instagram, or give us a call at 308-385-5333 for more information.
Laura Fentress serves as the youth and family services librarian for the Grand Island Public Library. Email her at lauraf@gilibrary.org.
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