 Calling all Lego maniacs! Last month, Moon Lake Community Library began hosting “Books and Bricks”, a free program for school-aged children which promotes literacy concepts and reading. It’s been so well-received, we’ve scheduled another 4-week session on Friday afternoons from 3:30–5:30 p.m. beginning March 16. During the February session, I asked the kids at the first class to raise their hands if they were a writer and only half raised their hands. After the second class, I asked again and they all quickly shot their hands up in the air.  The children use Legos to recreate the settings and characters of their favorite stories and share their creations with the group. The program focuses on helping children understand character and plot development, the importance of setting in telling their stories, and the use of technology to create books. The children write their own stories, use Lego building bricks to create the settings and characters, and then upload photos of their creations onto laptops using the Lego software. They then plan the layout of their book pages, add background scenery, incorporate dialogue, and print a hard copy of their original story. The program is limited to 10 participants and pre-registration is required. Click here to register your child for this exciting program. If you have any questions, email [email protected] or call me at 256-634-2062. Angela Hadley
Board member
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 Drop by the library this morning to enjoy a delicious cup of organic coffee and some neighborly camaraderie, and to borrow a book or movie for the weekend!
We're open from 9 until noon. Games begin at 10 :)  The Moon Lake Community Library is hosting a new children’s program on Friday afternoons from 3:30-5:30pm beginning Friday, February 16. The FREE four-week program helps children unleash their imagination and learn about the creative writing process using Lego building blocks and Lego StoryStarter software. This program is limited to ten participants for each 4-week session and pre-registration is required. Session One runs from February 16 through March 9. Please contact Angela Hadley at [email protected] to register your child for this exciting program. Update: This session is full. If you'd like to be informed about upcoming sessions, please email [email protected]. Angela Hadley
Board member This is a question that will likely continue to be answered for many years to come. While our community library in Mentone doesn’t get a huge amount of traffic, when a patron is in the library, it literally feels like the building knows it is being used. Its purpose is being fulfilled. What does it mean to “use” the library, these days? We have some regular “bookish” patrons (who largely prefer mysteries and thrillers), and others who regularly borrow movies (we have almost 1,000 to choose from). We have a few regular chess players on Saturday mornings. The MAPA board currently meets there, as do the Lookout Knitters. Our library is not a “quiet” library. We talk. And we laugh. Sometimes we laugh a lot. During quiet lulls, I often muse on the lost potential of that time. Moments when a child could be discovering a book, or an adult could be browsing our non-fiction section, which is, truly, a trove of valuable information. Moments when neighbors could be connecting with neighbors, learning about each other, discovering mutual life dreams, or synchronistically being there for the other. That’s the value Moon Lake Community Library holds for me…it’s not just about books—it’s about people. As Librarian, I feel privileged to meet so many interesting people. Recently, a couple who moved to Mentone visited the library, and I learned that he is a retired anthropologist and archaeologist. How interesting would he be to talk with?! The library has given me the opportunity to get to know community members on a deeper level than when I just run into them at the post office. It’s a relaxed space where we can connect with one another. Our library can (and should) be known as our community hub. I’ve been told that over its 18-year life, there have been waves of popularity and waves of disinterest. I think we’re riding a new wave of popularity…of relevance. We want to hear from you: how can the library best serve you? What kinds of programs would interest you? What kind of environment would entice you? Come on in on Saturday mornings to enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee—we’ve invested in a quality coffee maker and pounds of organic Balinese coffee beans. We have a cabinet full of strategic board games to play, including chess, backgammon, dominoes, and cribbage. We have immediate plans to create a comfortable, homelike, seating area, and we’re researching the cost of offering Wi-Fi. New programs are being developed and will be announced in the near future, so keep an eye on our Facebook page. We want to serve you—each of you. Nancy Kunhardt Lodge once said, “A library is a place vibrating with ideas.” Doesn’t that sound like a lovely place to spend time? Kelly Leavitt
Community Librarian |