The other day, I walked into my son’s room to see him reading a book titled The Donner Dinner Party. I laughed out loud at the absurdity of this title, and then took a closer look to make sure it was something I was okay with my 4th grader reading. This book is part of… Read More
Winter is always tough with cabin fever and kids' pent up energy. Add in the fact that many children now get more screen time than parents prefer, and you have a perfect disaster of both adults and kids going crazy at home. The pandemic has allowed us to spend more time as a family, but… Read More
Tom and Christina by the Caudill display in Youth. (Note: photo taken pre-pandemic) Last year, Youth Department Director Christina Keasler and I received news that we were chosen to be evaluators for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award. Huzzah! Here’s the committee in a nutshell: A rotating committee of between seventy and eighty members… Read More
For as long as I can remember, we have had a large print collection in the Adult Department at GEPL, and I am excited to share that we are starting to purchase large print fiction books for the Youth Department! As we work on making sure the library is diverse, equitable, and inclusive for all, I knew this personal goal of mine had to be… Read More
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are words being used a lot these days, including here at your library. They are even a part of our values statements: We believe that a community flourishes when it sees itself reflected in its library and uses the library as a window for discovery. One way to lend your… Read More
Don’t let winter stop you from playing outside! There's something magical about playing outside in the snow. It may be cold, but it’s important to keep playing outside even in the winter months. Not only is playing outside essential physical exercise, outdoor play encourages children to use their imagination to find new ways to play in the snow. Winter tends to linger here in… Read More
Although it is winter and the ground is covered in snow (at least at the time of this writing), there are bound to be a few hungry birds in your backyard. Ice and snow storms can make it hard for birds like downy woodpeckers, northern cardinals, and mourning doves to find food in the winter.… Read More
Our winter session of storytime is underway! Register and join us on Zoom for Together Time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 10:30 am. While we may not be able to meet in person, our virtual storytimes follow a similar structure to our live storytimes, and we continue to practice our five important pre-literacy skills:… Read More
Hygge is a Danish word that is having a moment outside of Denmark. There is no direct English translation for hygge (pronounced hoo-gah or hue-guh depending on which website you believe), but it implies a sense of comfort, coziness, and contentedness. As such, hygge is not something you do; it’s more a feeling of comfort… Read More
2020 – what a year! This will definitely be one for the history books. There have been some incredibly difficult and stressful challenges this year. However, as I look forward to a (hopefully) sunnier 2021, it’s also good to reflect on what we can appreciate about 2020. Wait, is there anything? Well, for me, these are the… Read More
I took my son to get his flu booster this morning. Almost nine months after we began our quarantine and lockdown, I noticed a suspicious number of newborns during our short time in the waiting room. Was it just a coincidence, or have the first batch of lockdown babies arrived? (Sidenote: Can we please call… Read More
December brings such warm feelings despite the cold weather. Many holidays are celebrated this month and it’s wonderful to see a variety of traditions from all over the world. December 22 - 30 Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights and it remembers the rededication of the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, in Israel. This… Read More
