Library Blaug Super Fun Time

2010 Summer Events Schedule

2010-06-13T14:06:00.000-04:00

Week 1: Summer Reading KICK-OFF!!

Thursday, June 10^th: Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center will be visiting us @6pm with a few animal friends! Come for free snacks and educational program about PA wildlife! All ages welcome!

Week 2

Tuesday, June 15^th: Story Hour, 11am-12pm, Ages 3&4yrs

Wednesday, June 16^th: Dance Workshop with Miss Alice, 11am-12pm Ages 5-7yrs

Wednesday Eve, June 16^th: Concert at the Mifflintown Park@7pm: Coffee House

Thursday, June 17^th: Dance Workshop with Miss Alice, 2pm-3pm, Ages 8-12yrs

Week 3: Water Games!

Tuesday, June 22^nd: Story Hour, 11am-12pm, Ages 3&4yrs

Wednesday, June 23^rd: 11am-12pm, Ages 5-7yrs

Thursday, June 24^th: 1-2pm, Ages 8-12yrs

Thursday Eve, June 24^th 6-7pm, Ages 3-12yrs

Week 4: Paint with your Feet!

Tuesday, June 29^th: Story Hour, Wear your messy clothes!11am-12pm, Ages 3&4yrs

Wednesday, June 30^th: Wear your messy clothes!11am-12pm, Ages 5-12yrs

Week 5: Stories in the Park with Rosie!

Thursday, July 8^th: East Waterford Park, 10-11am, All Ages (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Maybe a Bear Ate It)

Week 6: Stories in the Park with Rosie!...And More!

Tuesday, July 13^th: McAlisterville Park, 10-11am, All Ages (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Maybe a Bear Ate It)

Wednesday, July 14^th: Thompsontown Park, 10-11am, All Ages (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Maybe a Bear Ate It)

Thursday, July 15^th: Mini-fieldtrip to Village Acres Farm in Mifflintown, 1-2pm, All Ages *SIGN-UP REQUIRED!

Thursday Eve, July 15^th: Make Your Own Duct-tape Wallets with Miss Rachel Cermac, 6pm, Ages 7 and up

Friday, July 16th: Mifflintown Park, 10-11am, All Ages (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Maybe a Bear Ate It)

Week 7: Bubbles

Tuesday, July 20^th: Story Hour, 11am-12pm, Ages 3&4yrs

Wednesday, July 21^st: Story Theatre: Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash (w/Rosie!), 11am-12pm, All ages!

Wednesday Eve, July 21^st: Concert at the Mifflintown Park@7pm

Thursday Eve, July 22^nd: Pottery Workshop w/Todd and Melissa Tabb, 6pm, Ages 5&up

Week 8: Field Trip!

Wednesday, July 28^th: Free Field Trip to Greenwood Furnace! We will be leaving the library via bus at 9am and return by 4pm. There will be swimming in the lake, a lunch picnic, and a lesson on blacksmithing! You may bring a food item to share for lunch, if you’d like. Sign-up@ the library by July 21^st. All ages welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.

Week 9: Squish Squash, Freshwater and Wetlands

Tuesday, August 3^rd: Story Hour,11am-12pm, Ages 3&4yrs

Wednesday, August 4^th: Nature Walks w/ Ken Woglemuth, 11am-12pm is 5-7yrs, 1-2pm is 8-12yrs *SIGN-UP REQUIRED, SPACE LIMITED!
Thursday, August 5^th: Come learn about monarch butterflies! 1-2pm, Ages 3-12

Thursday Eve, August 5^th: Explosive Science Experiments w/ Dr. Kirk Gilbert from PSU Extension, 6-7pm, Ages 5&up

Week 10: High Seas Adventures

Tuesday, August 10^th: Story Hour, 11am-12pm, Ages 3&4yrs

Wednesday, August 11^th: 11am-12pm, Ages 5-7yrs

Thursday, August 12^th: 1-2pm, Ages 8-12yrs

Thursday Eve, August 12^th: 6-7pm, Ages 3-12yrs

Week 11: Summer Reading FINAL PROGRAM PARTY!!

Wednesday, August 18^th:11am-2pm, all ages are invited to bring their families and a covered dish or snack. We’ll be having games, pizza, a puppet show with Adam Swartz, and drawing our raffle winners!

Wednesday Eve, August 18^th: Concert at the Mifflintown Park@7pm

All of the programs will be held at the library (unless indicated otherwise) and are free of charge. Occasionally we have a special event or workshop where a special sign-up is necessary to know how many supplies are needed.

A special thanks go to the Mifflin/Juniata United Way, Juniata Cultural Arts Committee, Evenstart Family Literacy, Mifflintown Borough, Kiwanis Club, Friends of the Library, The Central Juniata Park Pool, and many more local businesses and volunteers for supporting the summer activities of the Juniata County Library.

If you would like to help the library, we are always in need of food, art supplies, and volunteers. Ask for details about how you could help. Don’t forget to check out our Infant/Toddler Read-to-Me Summer Program (ages birth-3) and our Young Adult Reading Program (ages 12-19). If you have any questions about our summer events and programs, please contact us at (717) 436-6378, tessagross@juniatalibrary.org, orwww.juniatalibrary.org

The Three Little Javelinas!

2010-04-26T09:09:00.004-04:00

We had our first Spanish Story Hour this past Saturday! I loved every second of it, mostly because I wasn't really sure what everyone was saying to each other. I had fun though trying to figure it out, and I think I added some new Spanish words to my vocabulary. A big thanks goes out to Maria Lopez who read the story "The Three Little Javelinas" in Spanish and to Maggie Hipple who came to help translate. We also had pizza and snacks, and made javelina noses and ears. We're going to try to keep having Spanish Story Hour every month, taking turns on who reads the story. Our next Spanish Story Hour is scheduled for May 29th at 2pm. Tell your friends!

Holiday Party!

2009-12-16T09:22:00.002-05:00

It's Christmas time at the library! We will be having a Holiday Party for kids of all ages on Thursday, December 17th @6pm. There will be snacks/refreshments, arts and crafts, and a special Christmas story! Please come and bring your friends. Also, come and check out our tree donated by McClure's Evergreens in Port Royal. Thanks!

Library Benefit Auction!!!

2009-09-30T13:45:00.001-04:00

The Friends of the Juniata County Library will be having a Chinese Auction October 3rd.

Mifflintown Fire Hall from 6 to 9 pm

The Chinese auction will include many baskets that have been prepared and

donated by local businesses and individuals.

Examples of some baskets are:

Penn State items including tickets and a parking pass for the homecoming game,

handmade papers, teas and coffees, baby supplies, woodcrafts, foods, and hand-painted crafts.

In a Chinese auction, bidders buy tickets 7 tickets for $5 and bid on a basket by placing tickets

in a tub beside a basket they would like to win.

At 8:45 pm a winning ticket will be pulled from each tub.

The odds of winning increase with the number of tickets that a bidder places in a particular tub.

When not examining the baskets and bidding, there will be other things to do.

Displays of goods and services set up by businesses and agencies can be visited.

Two notable agencies are the American Red Cross and the Lewistown Hospital.

Used books as well as Wayne Taylor’s new book will be available for purchase.

Tootles the Clown will be entertaining the children

and music will be provided by Calvin Brackbill of Extreme Sound Entertainment.

Hot dogs, cold drinks, and baked goods will be sold.

The Friends are holding this event to raise money to help defray an expected reduction in their state funding.

To inquire about reserving a space or about donating a basket,

contact auction chairs

Janice Darrow (436-2398) and Nancy Olson (527 2228),

or Friends of the Library president Richard Burkholder (436-6555).

Featured Parenting Books

2009-09-28T10:25:00.002-04:00

We now have a display of parenting books in the children's room on display for your library convenience! We will be adding new books to the collection in the near future for mothers and fathers with children of all ages. Please feel free to check them out...they could be a life-saver!

bad blaugger

2009-09-28T10:22:00.002-04:00

Oh how I have been a bad blaugger! So much happened over the summer time that I found it hard to keep up! No excuses...summer is over now. Autumn is here!

Footpainting video :)

2009-08-04T12:16:00.002-04:00

2009 State College Arts Fest

2009-08-03T11:11:00.006-04:00

Thank you Juniata Cultural Arts Committee for making our bus trip to the State College Arts Festival for Children and Youth Day possible! They were kind enough to pay for our transportation to State College.

We left the library and arrived at Beaver Stadium where we took a shuttle downtown. I can't believe how many fun activities they had for kids! The place was jam packed with children of all ages. There were muiscal and theatre performances, big sand castles, sidewalk art for sale, arts and crafts activities, gallery exhibits, and yummy carnival food (and alot more that I probably didn't have time to see). Parents and their children were free to wander about and pick and choose which activities they wanted to participate in.

It was a bit chilly for July but other than that, I had a great time. Thanks to everyone who came and I hope everyone had as much fun as I did! Maybe we can go again next year?? Cross your fingers! And yes, that is a picture of a storm trooper.

Playing Footsie (paint included)

2009-06-23T14:57:00.007-04:00

I needed an excuse to do this program...luckily our theme this summer is "Be Creative". I'm glad it stopped raining because today we read the story "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds and "Draw Me a Star" by Eric Carle out on the grass since it's so beautiful. After our storytime, we ventured down to the back porch to embark upon our messy foot adventure. On the porch, we had a big long sheet of paper, different colored paints, and a kiddie pool of water for rinsing. I'll let the pictures say the rest....

Pottery Workshoppie

2009-06-23T14:25:00.005-04:00

A special thanks goes out to Todd and Melissa Tabb for volunteering at the library last week! They are both extremely talented local potters that were willing to bring their potters wheel to the library to give a demonstration. We read a story called "The Pot that Juan Built" and then watched as Todd threw a pot on the wheel and Melissa described what techniques he was using. After they were done, they gave each child a piece of clay to make either a pinch pot (a small hand built cup) or a tile. After the kids were done, we collected their creations and Todd and Melissa took them home to fire in the kiln. What a great program!! I can't wait to see what they look like :) THANKS TODD AND MELISSA!!!

Kendra

2009-06-23T08:49:00.002-04:00

Oh, and our Summer Assistant this year is the lovely and talented Kendra Getz! She will be helping with children's programs throughout the summer. She's awesomely amazing in every way...yay Kendra!

Our Schedule

2009-06-23T08:46:00.004-04:00

Here's our schedule...just in case anyone forgot or lost the little paper. If you notice, everything is going to be AMAZINGLY FUN!!!

Week 1: Summer Reading KICK-OFF!!

Friday, June 12^th6pm: Adam Swartz and his puppets will be visiting the library to perform

the puppet show “Billy and the Story Machine”. Don’t miss out!

Week 2: Sculpt it!

Tuesday, June 16^th 11am-12pm Ages 3&4

Wednesday, June 17^th Community Concert in the Park@7pm: Open Mic Night

Thursday, June 18th 6-7 Clay Workshop: Local Potters, Todd and Melissa Tabb

visit the library, and give a demonstration. Ages 5 - 12.

Week 3: Paint with your Feet!

Tuesday, June 23^rd 11am-12pm Ages 3&4

Wednesday, June 24^th 11am-12pm Ages 5-7

Thursday, June 25^th 1-2pm Ages 8-12

Thursday Evening, June 25^th 6-7pm Ages 3-12

Week 4: Break! Have a Great 4^th of July

Week 5: Field Trip!

Tuesday, July 7^thStories in the Garden* 11am, All ages

Wednesday, July 8^th Field Trip to Children and Youth Day at the State College Arts Fest.

We will be taking a school bus to State College. Space is limited, sign-up at the library!

Pack a lunch. Check for times.

Thursday Evening, July 9^th: Kids Movie Night

Week 6: Music!

Tuesday, July 14^th 11am-12pm Ages 3&4

Wednesday, July 15^th 11am-12pm Ages 5-7

Wednesday Evening, July 15^th Community Concert in the Park@7pm: Big Band

Thursday, July 16th 1 -2 Ages 8 - 12

Week 7: Photography!

Tuesday, July 21st Stories in the Garden* 11 am, All ages

Wednesday, July 22nd 11am - 12pm, Photography Workshop

with photographer Sarah Little! Ages 5 - 7

Thursday, July 23rd 1 - 2pm, Photography Workshop, Ages 8 - 12

Week 8: Act it! Cook it!

Tuesday, July 28^th Theatre Workshop!! Learn the tricks of the trade--acting tips from the pro’s.

The Popcorn Hat Players will be visiting from Harrisburg.

Wednesday, July 29^th Cooking Art Party! This may get messy!

Thursday, July 30^th Kids Movie Night

Week 9: Recycled Art!

Tuesday, August 4^th 11am-12pm Ages 3&4

Wednesday, August 5^th 11am-12pm Ages 5-7

Thursday, August 6^th Stories in the Park with Rosie @East Waterford Park,

10-11am, All ages

Thursday, August 6^th 1-2pm Ages 8-12

Thursday Evening, August 6^th 6-7pm Ages 3-12

Week 10:

Wednesday, August 12^th Stories in the Park with Rosie@ McAlisterville Park, 10-11am, All ages

Thursday, August 13^th 6pm The return of the GREAT WORM CRAWL-OFF! Bring your fastest worm to race!

Week 11: Summer Reading FINAL PROGRAM PARTY!!

Wednesday, August 19^th 11am-2pm All Ages are invited to bring their families and a covered dish or snack. We’ll be having games, food, and entertainment, and drawing our raffle winners!

*Stories in the Garden is a new program at the library. We have started a small community garden where we hope to teach about the importance of growing your own healthy food.

Feel free to bring a blanket and picnic as we sit under a shade tree and read a garden story.

All of the programs provided by the Library are free of charge.

Most of our programs involve a story, activity, and/or craft.

Occasionally we have a special event or workshop where sign-up is necessary to know

how many supplies are needed.

A special thanks goes to the Juniata Cultural Arts Committee for providing financial support for some of our art workshops, performers, and field trips this summer.

Their help made this summer schedule possible.

Also, thanks to all of the volunteers who help with the summer program!

If you would like to help the library, we are always in need of food and art supplies,

among many other things. Please contact us for details.

Don’t forget to check out our Infant/Toddler Read-to-Me Summer Program (ages birth-3)

and our Young Adult Reading Program (ages 12-19).

If you have any questions about our summer events and programs, please contact us at (717) 436- 6378,tessagross@juniatalibrary.org, or www.juniatalibrary.org

ConGRATs! Write and Illustrate Your Own Book WINNERS AND RUNNERS UP!!!

2009-06-22T09:38:00.003-04:00

HEY-

Now here's something cool-

These are the winners and runners-up from the write and illustrate your own book contest! How great!

If you didn't win this year, don't give up!! You could win if you enter a book next year...all of the books were very creative! The judges have a hard time picking the winners.

If you wrote a book and haven't gotten it back yet, you can pick it up at the library. The winners have their books bound and placed in the library. We had a book signing party for t

he winners and runners-up on June 4th.

Here's the list of this year's winners:

Kindergarten:
1st: Kierstyn Fogle
Runner up: Jorden Hockenberry

First Grade:
1st: Paige Smith
Runner up: Malin Kint

Second Grade:
1st: Julia Rice and Kenneth Hershey Jr.
Runner up: Carli Walters

Third Grade:
1st: Zachary Fogle
Runner up: Camryn McClure

Fourth Grade:
1st: Allison Beaver and Rachel Dressler
Runner up: Rachel Bargo and Brenna Strawser

Fifth Grade:
1st: Elizabeth Ritzman
Runner up: Ashley Auker

Sixth Grade:
1st: Caroline Lesh

We Kicked-it...KICKED IT GOOD!

2009-06-22T09:29:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Adam Swartz for the very entertaining puppet show!!! It was called "Billy and the Story Machine". I'm sorry if anyone missed it! My favorite part was the noise the story machine made...unfortunately I can't reproduce it via text. At the end, Adam gave the library a free puppet! I believe the puppet's name is "Squeaky Carrot". You can come hang out with Squeaky Carrot at the library anytime you're feelin blue.

New Technology...meow.

2009-06-22T09:13:00.004-04:00

So we're all kicked-off here at the library and Summer Reading is on it's way! Thanks to everyone with their patience...we're doing things a wee bit different this year. Sorry if I've caused any confusion! One new aspect this year is that we've been technological-if-ied. I wasn't super crazy about the idea at first but I will admit that it makes it easier for people who don't live close to the library. Also, it's a great way for us to keep track of all those statistics about participation that are necessary for us to keep track of. I still have to straighten out a few kinks but I think it's been working alright...or at least I haven't gotten many complaints yet. If anyone has any suggestions or feedback, please let me know!!!

If you're keeping track of your books the old fashioned way, we still have you set up with an online account. You would have to email so that I could give you your username and password if you wanted to access it. Anywhoo, remember, KEEP READING ALL SUMMER LONG!!! Studies show that children who read over the summer months are better prepared for school in the fall! WOOHOO!

Summer Reading Kick-off!!

2009-06-03T11:14:00.002-04:00

Alright, I think I've got just about everything set up for Summer Reading! There are three programs this year: Infant/Toddler Read-to-me Program (ages 0-2), Kids Summer Reading Program (ages 3-12), and the Young Adult Summer Reading Program (ages 12-19). These programs are all geared towards keeping track of books read over the summer and being eligible for prizes.
You can register by visiting our website (www.juniatalibrary.org) and clicking on the link, or coming to the library to register and receive your hard copy book log.
We will also be having events all summer long! Our theme this year is BE CREATIVE AT YOUR LIBRARY! I'm pretty sure we know how to do that.

Our Summer Kick-off will be on Friday, June 12th at 6pm--We will be having a puppet show by State College Puppeteer Adam Swartz called "Billy and the Story Machine". Refreshments will be provided. Please come and help us start off the summer with a bang! See you soon!

In loving memory

2009-05-21T15:50:00.002-04:00

I would like to say a few words about Jeff Funk, a wonderful volunteer who recently passed away. Even though I have known Jeff since I was young, I knew him mostly through his service to the library. Every Thursday evening, Jeff would come in to help assist patrons and to shelve books. He also brought with him treats for the staff who were working that night. That is how Thursday became lovingly known as "French Fry Thursday". Luckily, I work on Thursdays 12-8pm, so I always had the pleasure of working with Jeff. He added something to Thursdays that I can't quite explain (not just the french fries). He added jokes and smiles...and he just had a way of making something ordinary be something extraordinary. Needless to say, Thursday was my favorite workday of the week, and I attribute that mainly to the fact that I got to spend it with fun and happy people. Jeff has been an example to me of someone who gave so generously without asking for anything in return...and who truly enjoyed life. So in honor of the tradition that Jeff started, French Fry Thursday lives on forever.
Thank you Jeff for your service, and kindness...and wisecracks--we will miss you more than you could know.
Love always,
Tessa

GETTING READY!!!

2009-04-29T14:26:00.003-04:00

I"M GETTING READY....FOR SUMMER....MUAH HA HA HA HA HAAA!!!! Things are looking pretty amazing! Our theme is "Be Creative @ Your Library". I'm so excited.

Eggstraordinary

2009-04-29T11:27:00.003-04:00

How could I forget? I almost forgot to write about our last week of Spring Story Hour!!
First and foremost, thanks to everyone who came to story hour and for all the help and donations and love and overall goodness all around. I love to see kids (and parents!) show such enthusiasm for reading and acting silly.
We always have a party for our last week of story hour, and party we did! The story we read was called "The Extraordinary Egg" by Leo Lionni. A sneaky library chicken always lays eggs in our yard this time of year and we have to gather them up! So we all made homemade baskets and went on an egg hunt. Luckily all of the eggs had a special treat inside of them....mmmm....
Everyone received a free book and a certificate of participation, and thanks to everyone's donations, we had healthy snacks and refreshments to finish off our story hour.
What a barrel of monkeys! THANK YOU THANK YOU MUCHO GRACIAS!

Write and Illustrate Your Own Book Contest!!!

2009-04-06T14:16:00.002-04:00

Don't forget about the Write and Illustrate Your Own Book Contest for grades K-6. The deadline is April 30th! Children can write and illustrate their stories and compete to have them bound and put into the libraries permanent collection. The great thing about this contest is that it has been going on for years and we have books that were written and illustrated by many local people that are all grown up now. They are one of a kind and they are here at the library for your viewing pleasure.

Here are the rules (PAY ATTENTION!)

*Children must be Juniata County residents in grades K through 6.

*Both text and illustrations must be done by the children and all work must be original. Parents and teachers may advise children about punctuation and spelling, but may not rewrite the text.

*If two children submit a joint entry, and the joint entrants are from different grades, the entry must be submitted under the higher grade. Students may not be the author of one book and the illustrator of another.

*All edges of all book pages must have at least a 1.5 inch margin. Page size must not exceed 8.5x11 inches, but it may be smaller. (Margins are needed when binding the winning books)

*The final text should be neatly printed or typed on plain paper, not notebook paper. Parents may assist with typing. Avoid using pens or pencils that fade or smear. Do not write on your book after it is finished. Illustrations must not be pasted or taped to book pages. Do any drawing directly on the book page itself.

*The title page must include the name, grade, and school of the author and illustrator. Please indicate which student is the author and which is the illustrator. Attach a sheet of paper with the address and phone number of the students.

*The book may have a cover, but please don't laminate it. Please do not staple the book. Instead, use paper clips to hold it together. Do not use notebooks, binders or similar covers.

*Only one entry per child will be accepted.

*All entries must reach the library on or before the deadline of April 30^th,2009.

*One winner from each grade will be selected. The winning stories will be bound and put into the library's permanent collection.

Chugga chugga

2009-04-06T12:48:00.003-04:00

What kid doesn't like trains? Trains are big and fast and loud and they whistle and they carry stuff and they're just plain cool and amazing. So for our 7th (or 8th?) week of Story Hour, our theme was trains. And, in honor of trains, we created our very own "library train". Each kid was given a ticket at the beginning of Story Hour and after we did our stretches and read our story, we jumped on the library express and chugga chugga'd around the library. Again, not the quietest library activity but since when was Story Hour quiet? The stories we read were "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo" and "Train Song", and we made noodle trains (glued pastas onto constuction paper).

Spring has sprung!!!

2009-03-24T12:54:00.007-04:00

It is officially Spring!!! For our sixth week of Story Hour we made our very own pots out of plastic cups that we decorated and planted beans and peas. We also read a few gardening stories which taught us about growing and eating healthy veggies. We read "Up, Down, and All-Around", "Oliver's Garden", and "The Gulps".
I'm so excited because this year we are attempting to make a library garden and grow our own vegetables right here. On April 25th, we hope to have United Way's Youth Day of Caring break the ground for our small garden patch. We would like to try and grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, chard, and onions. We are also going to try to grow sunflowers, peas, and squash down along the bottom side of the building. Once the weather is warm enough, I would like to have a planting day and invite the children from Story Hour to come and help me plant some of the seeds we have started this spring.

If there is anyone who would like to help with our garden, please let me know! Or if you have any plants, tools, topsoil, etc. that you would like to donate. We will not be using any pesticides or herbicides--everything will be as sustainable as possible. This would be a great opportunity for someone who is not able to have their own garden but would like to. I can't wait!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss Week!

2009-03-17T09:26:00.004-04:00

I'm a little behind on my blaug-o-rama, so I'll have to play catch-up. For our fifth week of story hour, we celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday. In honor of the late children's author, we read the story of "The Sneetches" (some with stars, some without stars on thars) and another short story called "What Was I Scared Of?"
If you've never read either of these stories, I highly recommend them. "The Sneetches" teaches a great lesson about acceptance and "What Was I Scared Of?" tells a story about fearing the unknown...(see comment). Plus, th ey're both just plain silly. Any story that features a character known as "the pale green pants with nobody inside 'em" has to be great.
We celebrated with a balloon hunt and then made our very own creative balloon creatures. Dr. Seuss, you were one crazy dude. Thank you!

Finger...puddin'?

2009-03-05T13:06:00.006-05:00

Cello!
Juniata County Library, what have you been up to? I couldn't have a worse case of spring fever. Please be warm soon, pllleaaassee!!
Last week was our finger-painting week and I decided to take a swing at homemade finger-paints...which turned out to be kind of interesting. Interesting in that they looked and felt like strange bright-colored pudding. I imagined the children diving in and smearing the paint on everyone and everything, but I was surprised at how cautious some of the kids were. Some children went to town, while others preferred to touch the paint only with a paintbrush. Either way, we created some masterpieces. The story we read was called "The Pencil" which was about a penicl that creates a whole world that comes to life only to realize that the world it created has it's own problems that need to be fixed. Soooo true. Better watch out for the eraser! Later gators.

Sweet, Sweet Thursdays

2009-02-26T15:45:00.002-05:00

This blog is about nothing in particular except to say that I love Thursdays. There are many reasons for my love of Thursdays, but I would like to focus on one in particular. Every Thursday, Jeff, one of our faithful volunteers, comes in and helps to shelve books. He also brings with him a special treat for everyone working that evening.
I am not an advocate for fast food, and I never purchase it on my own. But I have become addicted to my Thursday french fries and soda-pop. It is the one time of the week that I eat junky food or drink soda. I'm sure if he brought in salads and tomato juice, I would feel exactly the same. It's the thought that counts--the knowing that you will be sharing something with others and that someone cares about the work you do.
So thanks to Jeff for his generosity, help, and kindness. It does not go unappreciated. Although I don't know how I will overcome my new found french fry addiction. mmmm...
And while I'm at it, thanks to Winslow for the farm fresh eggs, and to everyone else who contributes to the library and shares special treats. I am eternally grateful. We all are!

My Friend is...

2009-02-26T15:19:00.004-05:00

Last week for Story Hour, we read the book "My Friend is Sad" (an Elephant and Piggie book) by Mo Willems. I have to admit, this is one of my favorite stories. Nothing cheers me up more than a friend, not even cowboys, clowns, or robots (although they are pretty cool). This book is a great reminder to any child of the importance of friendship and how our friends make us feel. There are some other really great Elephant and Piggie books that I suggest checking out. Speaking of elephants and their friends, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBtFTF2ii7U

After our story, we made "Piggie Banks" out of recycled cardboard canisters. We also colored pretend money and had a lesson in coins. Start saving for your futures, kids! One week chocolate, the next week money? What am I teaching these kids?

In dedication of my friends, whom I love and miss.

Gimmee Chocolate! Seriously.

2009-02-18T13:53:00.008-05:00

I can't deny that I love my job sometimes. In honor of the unmentionable romantic holiday, our theme was "Chocolate". We read the story "Chocolatina" about a girl who loves chocolate so much that she turns into a chocolate girl. I may have scared some of the children into thinking that they might turn into chocolate as well. Chocolatina's health class teacher even tries to take a bite out of Chocolatina's right ear!

After we made heart-shaped valentines and finished our story, we got down to the good stuff...snack time. Thanks to all of the parents who donated fruits, pretzels, drinks, etc. We dipped our snacks in melted chocolate--some of the chocolate ended up all over our hands and face. I think this may have been on of the craziest and most delicious Story Hours yet. And we were fairly healthy, considering our subject was chocolate, because we ate mostly delicious fresh fruits.

See you next week! Remember, "You are what you eat!".

Spring Story Hour has Sprung

2009-02-06T14:53:00.005-05:00

We have begun our journey to spring! It's so good to see everyone after our winter break...
speaking of winter, our first week of story hour was all about SNOW! It's good to be around children who are so excited for snow...because I can't say I've felt the same way during the past few weeks. After our introductions and name tags, we read the book This Place in the Snow and acted out all the fun things the characters do-put on snow suits, eat pancakes, build forts, shovel snow, you name it!
When we were all finished, everyone made their very own snow globe (oh ye magical baby food jar, water, and glitter). The results, as you can see, amaze and astound.
Next week-in honor of the upcoming holiday, our theme will be chocolate. Thanks to all of the parents that volunteered to bring fruit and snacks...we'll try to make chocolate as healthy as we can...if that's possible.
Can't wait--see you then!

The holidays are over....now what?

2009-01-05T12:31:00.002-05:00

"Christmas is over, everything's a chill
Please put a dollar in to help pay the bill"
Those were my grandmother's alternative lyrics to "Christmas is Coming".

Well it's back to work after a nice long holiday break. I got a bird feeder for Christmas (YAY) and a trip to the dentist (boo).

For those of you who came to our Holiday Party, I hope you enjoyed our Grinchy Theater. I had so much fun and possibly gained 10lbs from all of the cookies and snacks. Thanks to everyone who brought food and thanks to the kids who volunteered to play Who's. And thanks to Maggie Hipple for reading our story. I would really love to do more storytime theater if there are any kids who would like to practice their acting skills.

For now though, I'm back to getting ready for Spring Story Hour. We will begin Story Hour on February 3rd and registration is required. You can sign up now by calling the library, stopping by, or emailing me at tessagross@juniatalibrary.org

Spring Story Hour is a free program for children ages 3-5. It runs for eight weeks and there are four different times throughout the week that you may choose from. The times are Tuesday@11am, Wednesday@ 10am or 11am, and Thursday @ 6pm. At Story Hour, we read stories, and do related activities and crafts. Hope to see everyone in February!!!

Library Future Plans Meeting

2008-12-09T11:51:00.003-05:00

Last week, the library board members and staff invited a few interested community members to attend a meeting to discuss the future goals and plans of the library. We discussed how we should implement and promote current programs and create new programs, receive more funding, and manage and attract volunteers. One of the first goals the library plans on attaining is to start a "Friend's of the Library" group. "Friends' of the Library" is a group of people who are interested in raising money, support, and overall awareness of the library. I really hope that we are able to successfully start this group, and I'm thankful for those who said they would be interested in being a part of it. If anyone else is interested in being a "Friend of the Library", please contact us. 717 436 6378.
THANK YOU THANK YOU MUCH MUCH MUCH!!!

Doesn't anyone remember the library fairy?

2008-11-25T14:09:00.001-05:00

We are currently trying to add a few special programs here at the library. Some of the ideas we have are a Spanish Story Hour, Baby Story Hour/Toddler Time, Movies at the Library, and a Children's/Community Garden. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions on how to accomplish these goals, or would be willing to donate time, money, or supplies, please feel free to contact me at tessagross@juniatalibrary.org. Thanks!

"Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, it is the only time you've got"

2008-11-24T15:04:00.000-05:00

Each summer, the library hosts the Summer Reading Program to inspire kids to read over Summer vacation.
This past Summer (2008) our theme was "Catch the Reading Bug". We started off with a visit from Shaver's Creek Environmental Center (www.shaverscreek.org) and then had a summer full of bug-related stories and activities.

Here are some pictures from Summer 2008 (Catch the Reading Bug's Final Program).
At the Final Program, we had games, crafts, food, a scavenger hunt, a water balloon fight AND to top it all off, we ate crickets. Chocolate covered crickets that is. I should have tried one but I wanted to make sure there was enough for everyone else...
Thanks to everyone who helped with the Summer Reading Program!

more pics to come!

See pictures from the Lewistown Sentinel at: http://cu.lewistownsentinel.com/pages/galleries.php?type=you

Goodbye Fall Story Hour, Hello Holidays!

2008-11-24T13:23:00.000-05:00

Well, last week was our last Story Hour for Fall. Sigh. For our last Story Hour, I had the opportunity of making all of the children into pizzas! We read "Pete's a Pizza" and covered ourselves in flour, sauce, cheese, and all sorts of good toppings. Then we all baked in the oven and came out piping hot delicious pizzas! Now that's my kind of Story Hour! After we cleaned up our mess, everyone got a free book and disappearing ink pen, and we all went downstairs to make our own personal pizzas and eat some good snacks.

Thanks so much to anyone that donated anything for Story Hour (snacks included) and for bringing your kids to the library. I have such a great time with everyone and always miss you when you're gone.

So, the next event we'll be having at the library is our Holiday Party on Thursday, December 18th at 6:00pm. Hopefully this year the weather will hold up for us, unlike last year when we had to cancel because of snow. Anyone who's coming to the party is welcome to bring a snack.
Unlike Story Hour, there is no age limit for our Holiday Party.

Hope to see you there!