Tag Archives: events

We’re batty for bats!

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This week, our storytime focused on bats.   Did you know that many bats eat insects, including mosquitoes, up to 1200 per hour?  And many more are pollinators, helping grow many crops.  So, in their honor, we would like to share a couple of yummy recipes brought to you by bats.  You can download these and more in this recipe book from Batweek.org.

Bat trail mix

  • 1 1/2 cup mixed raw nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, etc.)
  • 1 cup raw seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
  • 1 cup unsweetened dried fruit (cherries, banana chips, cranberries, etc.)
  • 1/2 cup yummy chocolate (chocolate chips, M&Ms, etc.)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and/or pinch of nutmeg (optional)
  1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
  2. immediately or store in a plastic sealing bag or mason jar.  (Will keep for 2-3 weeks.)

Fruit Bat Loves Smoothie

  • 1/2 cup papaya pieces
  • 1/2 cup mango pieces
  • 1/2  banana
  • 1/4 cup blueberries or blackberries
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup soy or almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon carob powder
  • juice of one large orange
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  1. If you are using frozen fruits, allow them to thaw slightly.
  2. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
  3. Pour into a glass and serve.

Next week’s storytime theme is shapes with guest star Ms. Lois.  The week after will be apples.  If you have a pre-schooler and can make it Friday at 10:30, drop in and share some learning fun.

Upcoming Events

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WHAT’S NEW IN SEPTEMBER

Facebook Giveaway:

For adults, we will be giving away a book every month.  All you have to do is comment on our question of the month and you’ll be entered into the drawing.

Our prize this month is Ocean Prey by John Sandford.  This 2021 novel mixes the long-running Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers series.  When three members of the Coast Guard are murdered, it will take all the skills of these two investigators to find justice.

ONGOING PROGRAMS

Pre-school Storytime: Friday at 10:30

Beginning September 10th, storytimes will be held in the large meeting room.  They are a great opportunity for pre-readers to enjoy a story or two, share songs or finger plays, do cool crafts and develop those pre-literacy skills.  Not to mention a place for parents to relax and meet.

Book Chats

We’re back online recommending books for all ages and interests.  We will post a new video to our Facebook and YouTube pages the first and third Wednesdays of the month.  If you have a few related books to recommend, we welcome guest stars!

Book Group

It’s time to get the gang back together!  We are currently selecting a day and time for our book group for grown-ups, so if you’re interested, please let us know when would work for you.  We pick our next book as a group and tend to read widely, so get ready for a fun adventure.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

MEA drop-in crafts coming October 21-22

Halloween party coming October 29, 4-6 pm

A mad scientist lab, games, crafts, treats and more.  Fun for the whole family!

Food for Fines coming October 29-November 6

Donate any unexpired food item(s) to the Lonsdale Area Food Shelf and we will waive up to $10 in late fees from our library per card.

Book sale coming in February, 2022

We are accepting donations of good-quality recent books now.  We need volunteers to plan, sort and to assist on the sale day.  If you can do any of these, please talk to us.

Escape room coming this fall

Teens and adults will need to solve the murder of Mr. Boddy!

 

 

The Jolly Pops!

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The Jolly Pops!
Wednesday, June 23rd at 1:00 pm
Sticha Park

We are Happy Dads, We are Jolly Pops!

The family music group The Jolly Pops (Chanhassen, MN) combine upbeat, original music with a host of children’s standards for a concert that is sure to please kids and adults alike. Take a fun ride with the Happy Dads and their puppet friends as they sing about alligator dancing, popsicles, trains, pet dinosaurs…and everything in between!

The target audience is 3 – 8 year olds, but all ages are welcome.  If you would like a chair, please bring one from home.   The concert will last approximately 45 minutes-an hour.  You do not have to be signed up for the summer reading program to attend.  No RSVP required.

Sticha Park on Google Maps

If you went to the program, please take a moment to fill out this brief survey.

Valentine’s Day

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Valentine’s Day is coming soon!  Although we are open to the public again (Yippee!), we are not doing in-person programs yet.  So, we will be putting together packets of fun for pre-readers and readers.  Each packet will have coloring pages, worksheets, a craft, a recipe to try at home and some candy!  You can pick them up in the lobby of the library starting at noon on Friday, February 12th.  They will be there until we run out.

Year in Review

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We are saying goodbye to 2020, a tumultuous year to say the least, and welcome 2021.  Let’s take a quick look back.

With the COVID-19 epidemic, we were closed for part of the year and did no-contact pickup for part of the year.  Like many in the community, several members of the staff contracted the disease, but we all recovered.  We greatly appreciate all of you who use the library; you have been great sports.  Thanks for hanging in there with us!

We checked out 14,438 physical items in 2020, which is not bad, all things considered.
For comparison we checked out 21,576 in 2010.  Final numbers for e-book checkouts are still pending, but are expected to be much, much higher than past years.

Our most checked out books were a little more diverse than in previous years, including a board book, easy readers, a juvenile non-fiction book, a chapter book, and even a grown-up mystery.

EVENTS

Before COVID hit we squeezed in a Harry Potter-themed escape room, which was conquered by kids and adults alike.

Shortly after that everything changed, and the rest of the year was all about connecting in different ways.   Summer reading became a take-and-make affair.  We put together packets each week for pre-readers, readers and teens/tweens.  In the end, we distributed 650 over six weeks.  The staff created videos to introduce the contents of each packet and demonstrate the crafts.

 

Our annual Halloween party also became a take-and-make affair.  We gave out 100 or so packets with fun activities, coloring pages, toys and candy.  Luckily, many of our friends showed up in costume to pick them up.  We love to see those great costumes and big smiles!

The community also played along with our in-person and online favorite candy bracket.  After 250 votes, we determined that Lonsdale’s favorite candy is Twix!

We embraced social media more than ever, producing virtual storytimes for kids and book chats for grownups. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, so you don’t miss anything.

Here’s hoping we get to see a lot more of you next year!

 

Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange

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Have a favorite cookie recipe you’d like to share?  Drop it off at the library or email to mmoran@selco.info.

Looking for new cookie recipes to try?  Stop by starting on Monday, November 24 and pick up a copy of the recipes contributed.  We will also share here on the website.

Because you can never have too many Christmas cookies!  (Just don’t eat them all in one sitting.)

Halloween Party in a Bag

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Come to the library on Friday, October 30 or Saturday, October 31 to get your party in a bag!  We’re sad that we won’t be able to offer our usual party, but instead, you can bring the fun home.  Packets will include coloring pages, activity sheets, a recipe, a craft, a prize or two and a bag of candy!  Choose pre-reader, reader or teen/tween.

Friday 1:00-6:00
Saturday 10:00-2:00